Soulbound: Rise of the Aberrants
by Selenus
Summary: "On that day, the world changed. When the light shone on us all, we were ripped from our bodies and torn through time and space. Now, we are strangers in a strange world, twisted by the Convergence. The Demon King will stop at nothing to reclaim the Triforce. He will destroy you and everyone here if he is not stopped. Please help me find the Hero... before all is lost."
1. The Day The World Stood Still

**Soulbound**

 **Foreword:** Hello, and welcome to my batch of crazy. Some of you may have read this back when I had originally posted this here, and some of you might be new to this story. You might even be somebody from DA or AO3 who happened to stumble on this. Either way, glad to see you're here. Before we begin the story proper, I just have a few words of warning: this story revolves around the idea of a world merger between Hyrule and our world. Due to the nature of the plot, it contains a large number of OCs, and subplots revolving around them as well as the Zelda characters present. If for some reason you hate OCs, I would caution you to read this at your own discretion. In other words, don't say I didn't warn you!

That being said, I am open to all other feedback regarding the story, especially with regards to characterization, grammar, spelling, and other ideas that could improve the story.

Prologue, Part I - Link/Zelda/Ganondorf: The Day The World Stood Still

 **Hyrule, Lanayru Province - Ganon's Castle  
2 Eldin, 1437 HCE  
6:50 PM**

Clashing metal echoed throughout the black citadel. Two figures, one clothed in green and another in black armor, battled one another atop the castle keep. A woman imprisoned in a crystal watched from afar. Blood dripped all along the floor as the two of them took in gulps of air.

On the backs of their hands, the brand of the Triforce shone brightly, as if drawn together by fate. The woman clasped her hands over her mouth, stifling the gasp that threatened to escape her lips.

"Link..." She cried out, "Link, no!"

Streams of dark energy flowed from Ganondorf's hand. He flung the ball of energy at his enemy. Link swung his sword forward, repelling the black with his sword. The ball of energy bounced back and forth, moving faster and faster until it collided with Ganondorf's body. He fell onto his left knee, his body sizzling from the attack.

"It's over, Ganondorf. Stop this madness, now."

"No, Hero. It has only just begun!"

Link held up his shield as Ganondorf's sword struck its surface, sending sparks flying. The two clashed swords until Link landed a blow on his Ganondorf's side. Undeterred, Ganondorf landed a blow on Link's shoulder. The Hero cried out in pain and stumbled backwards.

With every ounce of determination he possessed, Link raised his sword as the Blade of Evil's Bane clashed with Ganondorf's blade. The two of them locked eyes, Ganondorf's gaze filled with unbridled hate.

"This world is mine..."

As the battle waged on, Zelda sensed a change in the air. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted an otherworldly light. She turned toward the window and let out a blood curdling scream.

The light shimmered through the stained glass windows. Glass began to crack, straining under an outside force until shattering completely. Ganondorf and Link turned toward the light as it consumed the chamber.

"This is... not possible..."

Waves of energy elevated the Chosen Three into the air. Energy crackled and sparked, until a ball of white energy exploded. The Chosen Three cried out as they were absorbed into the light...


	2. The Hijacking of Samson Blackwell

**Soulbound**

Prologue, Part II - Ganondorf: The Hijacking of Samson Blackwell

 **Earth, Minnesota, United States - Northfield Middle School**  
 **February 29, 2016 CE**  
 **2:50 PM, Central Standard Time**

School bells rang in the air, signaling the day's end for the students within the brick and mortar building. One by one, middle schoolers poured out of the doorway in droves, eager to head home. They gathered around yellow school buses, all except a small group. One girl walked away from the school with backpack in hand.

Her gaze moved toward the parking lot, where she spotted her father waiting beside a black car. He looked back at her with a warm smile on his face. She ran toward him.

"Hey, Dad!"

"Hi, Emily."

He hugged his daughter, his fingers brushing through her dirty blonde hair. Emily stepped into the passenger seat of the car, and the two of them drove off the campus toward home.

"How was school today?"

Emily frowned.

"Oh... It was fine. Passed my math test today."

"That's great, honey. I'm so proud of you..."

An uncomfortable silence filled the car. Emily looked out the window and toward the quiet neighborhood beyond. Families gathered around the snow, playing with their loved ones. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a sad expression on her father's face. Looking through the windshield, she watched the green traffic light flicker to yellow before turning red.

"Dad... Why are you and Mom separating?"

He stopped the car at the light and turned toward Emily, unsure of how to respond.

"Your mother and I... are going through a rough time right now. I love you very, very much, honey, but I don't want to talk about this."

Emily pursed her lips, upset by his words. She struggled to hold back the tears welling in her eyes.

"I don't want you to fight anymore. I don't want you or Mom to leave. I just want us to be a family, Dad..."

"Emily..."

The words he wanted to say to her slipped off his tongue. Unable to articulate his emotions to her, he breathed a sigh of relief as he pulled into the driveway of their home. When the sound of the engine hummed to a stop, the two of them walked back into their home in silence. He watched as his child went up the stairs to her room. His gaze shifted around the walls of their home.

He stopped at a family photograph hanging on the wall of their living room. With a deep breath, he gazed at the smiling man within holding a bottle of sparkling champagne. His gray eyes and warm smile reflected the warmth and joy he shared with the blonde-haired woman beside him. A wedding veil wreathed her hair, while a black tuxedo stood out on the man's form. He stepped toward the photograph and picked it up off the wall, eying the Sharpie written on its back: _Samson and Alicia, forever in love, 2002._

 _What happened to us, Alicia? Where did we go wrong?_

* * *

 **4:40PM, Blackwell Residence**

Howling wind pierced the uncomfortable silence filling the dining room. Emily, Samson, and Alicia all sat at their dinner table. In between bites of their meal, Alicia gazed at Samson, her face a bitter scowl. He continued to avoid her gaze. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched through the window as the ground outside became blanketed in a thick sheet of snow.

"So... How was work today, Mom?" Emily asked.

"It was fine."

"I passed my math test today."

"That's great, honey."

Alicia made no attempt to make eye contact with her daughter. Emily shifted her gaze toward the plate of spaghetti in front of her. Samson looked toward his daughter, sensing her unease.

"Emily, why don't you go finish your dinner upstairs? Your mother and I need to talk to each other in private."

"Dad..."

"I'll call you when we're finished."

Emily grabbed her plate and fork from the dinner table, and made her way upstairs. She looked back toward her father one last time.

 _Dad... Please... I don't want any more fights... I just want you and Mom to love each other again..._

She opened the door to her bedroom, but did not enter. Instead, the door creaked open, and she closed the door in front of her. She sat beside the railing, eating her spaghetti while eavesdropping on her parents below.

"So... Would you like to tell me what this is about, Ali?"

"You know damn well what this about, Sam."

"No, I don't. Now, are we going to talk about this like adults, or are we going to do this all night long?"

Alicia's face contorted in anger. She pointed her finger at him.

"The bank called. They want to foreclose the house, Sam."

Samson felt the warm anger on his face. He took a deep breath and walked toward her before stopping mere feet from where she stands.

"Maybe if you weren't out being a spendthrift and wasting my money, I could've been able to keep up on the mortgage. Don't act like you aren't at fault!"

As quietly as her hands allowed her, Emily placed her plate of food on the white carpet at her feet. Alicia's voice continued to rise until nothing else but her raucous yelling filled the household.

"Don't talk to me that way, Samson Blackwell! I work my hands to the bone to put food on the table for our family, and all you ever do is accuse me of spending money that I earned!"

Emily wrapped her arms around herself, and buried her face in her hands.

"Your money? Oh, please. You haven't worked a day in years. When have you ever contributed anything toward our electric bill? Our cable bill? Our _mortgage_ bill?"

In spite of his wife's rage, Samson kept his voice level. He folded his arm across his chest, his face molded into an expression of disgust.

"Oh stop it, Ali. You know why I work late. Don't give me that crap. Look, I'm tired of this. Emily is tired of this. Let's just go to the bank tomorrow and sort out the mortgage then, okay?"

"What did you expect me to do? You're never here. You're always out working late at night, while I'm here wondering when, or if, you're going to come home. We haven't slept together in months!"

"You know what? This is ludicrous. At this point, if you have anything else to say to me, save it for the divorce attorney. Now, are we through here?"

"We most certainly are, Sam."

"Good. Now get out of my house, and take your stuff _with_ you."

"You're kicking me out of my own home?"

"Yes, Ali, _I'm kicking you out of_ _ **my**_ _home_."

Out of the corner of her eye, Emily caught a glimmer in the snowstorm outside. She sneaked towards the window. With widened eyes, she watched as an eerie light flickered in the heavens above. Foreboding filled her heart as the light grew in size, consuming the dark winter clouds. Surges of energy crackled and singed the air. Bolts struck at the utility poles and street lamps outside. One by one, every house in the neighborhood blacked out before their own followed suit.

"Dad!"

Hearing his child's screams, Samson raced up the stairs. As he reached the top, his eyes widened at the storm of light outside.

 _What in God's name...?_

Blinding light erupted from the window. Emily darted below the window and shielded her eyes. Samson held up his arms as he became bathed in otherworldly radiance. The dark house fell away, leaving behind nothing but the white void. Energy streamed through him, tearing through his body, mind, and soul.

Samson collapsed onto his hands and knees. He looked up and gazed into the abyss. There, beyond the veil of white, black and crimson energy gathered around a floating triangle. Samson's eyes widened at the sight of it hurtling toward him.

The triangle collided with his body. He screamed as the golden relic burned against his skin, melting into his flesh.

Without warning, the light faded. Emily lowered her arms, only to watch her father fall backwards down the stairs. She clasped her hands over her mouth, horrified by what she had just witnessed. Alicia let out a scream of her own.

"Oh God... Oh God... This is not happening!"

Alicia raced toward the kitchen counter and grabbed her purse. Frantic, she rummaged through it until she dug up her cell phone from its depths. She dialed numbers on its surface, then held up the receiver to her ear.

"911, what is your emergency?"

"It's my husband... He just fell down the stairs! Please, we need an ambulance!"

She could hardly contain the tears that ran down her face. In spite of the argument she had with her husband, she never hoped that anything like this would happen to him. Alicia crumpled to the ground and cupped Samson's head in her arms while waiting for paramedics to arrive.

 _Please... Don't leave me, Sam..._

* * *

 **5:10PM, Interstate 35, Northbound**

The blaring of sirens filled the darkness. An ambulance, followed by a black car, raced along the icy winter roads. Within the back of the ambulance laid the inert body of Samson Blackwell. In spite of the straps that secured the victim to the gurney, the two paramedics watching over him felt the vibration of the road as they traveled onward.

"You okay, John? You haven't said a word since we picked this guy up."

John shook his head, unable to stop the sensation of his skin crawling as he looked down at the victim beside him. A terrible feeling welled in the pit of his stomach. Pure malevolence radiated from Samson's body, stifling the air as the ambulance drove on.

 _I've never felt something so..._ _ **evil**_ _in my entire life..._

"I... I don't know what it is about this guy, but God, he sure gives me the creeps."

"You too, man?"

John nodded.

"Yeah. I'll be glad when this is over with... What a mess..."

* * *

Deep within Samson Blackwell, unholy power took root. Like a needle and thread, the light guided the darkness, tethering it his being. It spread outward, traveling down his spine with inhuman speed before flowing into his blood. Images, thoughts, and emotions not his own flooded his mind, overwhelming him with pure hatred and malice.

He saw two figures- a young man in green, and a regal woman in pink. The very sight of them sent him over the edge. He gripped his head, trying to block out the vengeful thoughts invading him.

 _Alicia... Emily... Help me..._

Samson screamed as he fell deeper into darkness. The abyss swallowed him whole and he knew no more.

* * *

 **5:15PM, Northfield Hospital**

Paramedics, nurses, and doctors rushed beside the gurney housing Samson Blackwell's body. Spasms racked his form. In spite of the feeling of dread each of them felt, they carried on with the task of saving their patient's life. A heart monitor rested on the side of the gurney, pulsing erratically.

"Vital signs fading! We're losing him!"

A flat, whining pulse erupted from the heart monitor. From out of a case, they pulled out a set of defibrillators. Time slowed to a standstill as volts of electricity ran through Samson's body. After what seemed like an eternity, a pulse echoes from the heart monitor once again. The doctors and nurses breathed a sigh of relief as his breathing and his pulse slowly wound down to normal.

"Mr. Blackwell?" A doctor asked, "Mr. Blackwell, can you hear me?"

* * *

Voices ebbed in and out of Ganondorf's awareness, speaking a language foreign to him. He seethed in the darkness, his breathing heavy and labored. Pain surged through every part of his being, incomparable to anything the Hero had ever inflicted before. Like a broken record, he fixated on the memory of their battle atop his castle... and the terrible light that had consumed them all.

 _ **Damn you...**_

 _"Mr. Blackwell?"_

Ganondorf's eyes snapped open. He found himself not in his citadel, but in a strange, unfamiliar place. Faces foreign to him hovered over his form. He screamed furiously at the top of his lungs. Shocked and horrified expressions around him as he grabbed onto one of the paramedics.

Panicked screams echoed throughout the halls. He tightened his grip around the paramedic's neck. Swarms of men and women rushed to the scene and pulled him back. As he tossed the man across the room, he caught a glimpse of the Triforce of Power on his hand, a hand he did not recognize.

 _What.. is..._ _ **this**_ _?!_

Energy tore at his very being. Shadow and light wove together within him, tying him to an alien body. He fell off the gurney and onto the floor. Heaving, he grabbed into the metal and pulled himself up onto his feet. An aura of red and black energy surrounded him as he gazed down the hall with a hate-filled expression.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of his reflection in a nearby window. A younger man's pale face stared back at him, his brown hair unkempt. Two different eyes gazed back at him- a gray left eye, and the familiar green with yellow sclera in his right. An unbuttoned white shirt covered his much smaller torso, while a pair of slacks clothed his legs. Ganondorf felt his anger boil over as he smashed the window with his fist.

 _Those two...!_

 _"Hold it right there!"_

Armed guards burst into the hall, pointing their pistols at him. In spite of the pain the light wrought on his body, he lumbered toward them. The guards opened fire. For a brief moment, the force of gunfire sent Ganondorf staggering backwards. He lifted his head forward and looked down at his body. As quickly as they were created, the gunshot wounds on his body began to close, until his flesh became completely healed of damage.

"What amusing toys... you carry... with you. Here.. why don't... you try... one of mine?"

Energy gathered in Ganondorf's right hand, forming an orb of crimson light. The guards looked on, horrified by the sight in front of them. With a flick of his fingers, he sent the orb flying at the guards. It collided with the ground and exploded. Fires sparked down the hall, followed by the raining of sprinklers turning on. The guards looked up, their vision blurry and their faces bloodied.

Snorting in disgust, he shambled over their bodies. As the world grew colder and darkened around them, the guards watched the figure of Samson Blackwell tread bloodied footprints down the hall beyond.

* * *

A crowd of people waited in the lobby of Northfield Hospital. Emily watched them as she sat beside her mother, their feelings of dread and anxiety palpable and overwhelming. Alicia cupped her face in her drenched, shaky hands, unable to contain her emotions in front of her daughter. Emily felt overwhelmed by all that had happened minutes ago.

 _If I had just listened to Dad... None of this would have happened..._

"Is Dad gonna be okay?" Emily asked.

She did not know what to think, or what to feel. Guilt welled up inside of her amid the maelstrom of emotions that tore at her heart. Emily wrapped her arms around her body, trembling in fear.

 _Please, God... Don't take Dad away from me. Please tell me he's going to be alright. Please tell me he's going to survive. I don't want to lose my Dad... I'm sorry, God, I'm so sorry. I won't ever do that again, I promise..._

Shouts and gunfire stifled the uncomfortable silence of the lobby. The ceiling rumbled above, sending panic reverberating through the crowd of people. Screams and the tearing of flesh soon followed. One by one, the gathering turned into a mass of hysteria as people rushed out the door leading out into the cold winter night beyond. Alicia looked around her, bewildered by the events unfolding around here.

Before she could react, a group of guards rushed into the room.

"Everyone, I need you to come with me. It's not safe here."

"What is going on?" Alicia asked him, "Where is my husband?"

"Ma'am, there is no time. Please, I need you to evacuate the premises."

Alicia shook her head, mortified by the words that left the guard's mouth.

"No! I can't leave! My husband was rushed to the ER! He's still in there!"

She started to dart toward the stairwell. The guard grabbed her and stopped her right in her tracks.

"Ma'am, you can't go in there! It's too dangerous!"

 **"I won't leave my husband!"**

Emily felt goosebumps travel down her arms and legs. A terrible sense of dread welled up inside the pit of her stomach. Terror gripped her, rooting her to where she stood. She tried to call out to her mother, but no matter how hard she tried, she could not get a word out, her voice smothered by her growing fear. Like a deer staring straight into headlights, she could do nothing as time seemed to slow to a crawl, their words becoming long and drawn out.

* * *

Blood splattered the halls of the hospital wing. Doctors, nurses, and their patients alike ran from the shambling figure of Samson Blackwell, screaming in absolute terror as he carved a bloody path through anyone unfortunate enough to encounter him.

 _Annoying little flies._

Out of the corner of Samson's eye, Ganondorf saw a shape move within a nearby exam room. He grabbed onto a nearby railing, his vessel spasming in pain. With each passing moment, he felt more and more of his power returning to him. Despite the pain, he tore the door to the office down.

Cowering under a desk, a frightened man did his best to make himself look small. Ganondorf shuffled toward his hiding place. He flipped the desk over, and the man screamed in terror. The man frantically crawled away into the nearby corner of the room.

"Where are they?" Ganondorf asked.

The man blinked back at him, not understanding his question at all, or even the language uttered by the being in front of him. He shook his head vehemently at Ganondorf, squeezing his eyes shut. Ganondorf snorted in annoyance at this development.

 _It seems we have a failure to communicate. No matter._

Like hot smoldering fire, red energy gathered in Ganondorf's hand. The man flailed in his arm as unholy fire consumed him. Ganondorf tossed the man's corpse across the room and shambled back into the hall.

 _This place is useless to me._

He blasted energy at the floor, tearing a hole into the concrete. Without another word, Ganondorf disappeared down the hole.

* * *

Alicia and the guard grappled with one another.

"Ma'am, please calm down!"

"I'm not going anywhere without my husband!"

A loud rumbling resounds down a nearby hallway. Alicia and the guard turned to their left and watched the ceiling collapse in front of them. A figure jumps down from above. Alicia's eyes widened.

"Sam...?" Alicia asked, "Sam, is that you?"

When Samson Blackwell's head turned to look up at her, Alicia shrank back in horror. The sclera of his right eye glowed a sickly yellow, while a green iris gazed back at her in rage, in start contrast to the normal left eye that belonged to her husband. His face, contorted into an expression of anger and disdain, gazed back at her own like a predator eying prey. In place of the soft voice of the one she loved, a deep, booming baritone voice laughed at the three of them.

Emily clasped her mouth in terror. The terrible, sickening feeling that had pervaded the lobby now concentrated itself. Her skin crawled at the sight of the demon wearing her father's face.

"Oh God..."

Alicia's mind whirled, fighting between the fear that had gripped her, and the desire to approach her husband that went against all rational thought. She stepped toward Samson's form, despite the uncontrollable goosebumps that rippled through her skin.

 _What... What's going on? This isn't right_ , Alicia thought.

As Samson's form lumbered toward her, the voice speaking through him let out a cry of anger. Darkness gathered around his right hand, shifting into a shadowy claw. As he moved to attack his wife, something stopped him in his tracks. He blinked, his right eye shifting to a burning amber. The voice of Samson Blackwell screamed at the top of his lungs as ink-black shadows traveled up his body.

"Ali... Get away..."

"Sam?!"

Samson lurched backwards as shadows consumed his form. From within the darkness of his being, his voice and that of the entity within him laughed in unison. The guard stumbled backwards before shifting to a sprint toward Emily. He picked up the girl in his arms, and ran out of the building. Emily screamed at the top of her lungs at the sight of the shadowy metamorphosis occurring before her.

As the two of them ran into the parking lot, the lobby of Northfield Hospital exploded into an array of fire, rubble, and broken glass. Emily wailed, unable to stop the tears that streamed down her face.

 **"Mom! Dad!"**

She reached her hand toward the ruin in front of her, and collapsed onto her knees. Off into the distance, she saw a giant shadow of a man rise from the ashes. Long, vermilion hair played in the wind, held back a golden, topaz head brooch. Moonlight framed his darkened face. He pushed himself onto his feet, his black armor reflecting the dim glow. Hanging over a golden, clawed gauntlet, the limp figure of her mother swayed in his arm.

Before the girl could do anything else, the figure carrying her mother vanished into the darkness. Emily screamed and cried out for someone, anyone, to help her mother.

 **But no one came.**


	3. The Goddess Appears

**Soulbound**

Prologue, Part III - Zelda: The Goddess Appears

 **Earth, California, United States - UCSF, Parnassus Campus**  
 **February 29, 2016 CE**  
 **11:00AM, Pacific Standard Time**

Hundreds of students gathered inside the lecture hall. At the far end of the room, the professor stood in front of a projector, showing diagrams of the human brain and central nervous system. One young man stared listlessly at his tablet, tuning out the lecture and the droning voice of his professor. On his tablet were images of various schools dedicated to acting. He recalled the conversation he had with his father months ago.

 _Son, you're going to be a doctor. Your father's a doctor. Your grandfather was one of the most well respected physicians of his time. Why, your uncle is one of the top psychologists in his field!_

 _But Father... I don't want to be a doctor. I want to be an actor! Please, I'll make it worth your while!_

 _Not on my money, you're not. You are my only son, my pride and joy. You're going to be a doctor and carry on the Victoria family legacy, Charles. You don't have the personality to make it big in Hollywood, son. You'd only end up becoming poor and destitute..._

Charles shook himself out of his reverie and looked up at the projector screen. His eyes glanced at the power point slides whirling by on the screen. He let out a sigh and resumed taking notes. Behind him, some girls gazed down at him, brimming with infatuation. Charles felt their eyes on him.

 _Oh God, not these vultures again._

"Mr. Victoria, what neurotransmitters are associated with the onset of schizophrenia?"

Charles cleared his throat and did his best to ignore the love-sick girls behind him. He stood up in front of the class and spoke.

"Serotonin and dopamine, Professor Richards. When the basal ganglia produces excessive amounts of dopamine, it can lead to early symptoms of schizophrenia."

Professor Richards smiled at Charles' response.

"And what happens when the basal ganglia doesn't produce enough dopamine?"

"It can lead to the onset of Parkinson's Disease."

"Very good. You may sit down now, Mr. Victoria."

Charles sat down at his chair. Behind him, he heard the giggles of the girls behind him. He rolled his eyes and focused on the lecture in front of him.

"That will be all for today's lecture. Please remember to fill in your timesheets for your labwork this week. I expect to see you all bright and early at the Medical Center Monday morning. Enjoy your weekend, everyone."

At the end of that sentence, the entire gathering of students packed up their books, laptops, tablets, and notes, and made their way out of the lecture hall. Charles gathered his things into his messenger bag and walked over toward the far side of the hall. From the crowd of people, he spotted a familiar face. He whistled into the mass of bodies.

"Roland! Hey Roland!"

Behind him, hot on his trails, the group of girls ran up to him and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hi, Charlie~!"

Roland poked his head up at the sound of his friend's voice. He weaved his way through the mob of students, sensing his friend's distress at the unwanted attention he was receiving.

"Boy, you sure know your stuff, Charlie. Want to help me write this report? I'll make it worth your while..."

A blonde woman walked up to Charles, gazing into his eyes with a flirtatious grin. Charles looked away from her, his face full of disgust. Roland ran beside his friend and barred himself in front of the girls.

"Hey! Buzz off, you harpies!"

All three girls looked back at him with shocked and offended faces. They pursed their lips. Two of the women, a redhead and a brunette, crossed their arms and turned their noses up at Roland, while the blonde woman held her hands above her hips.

"Roland, you're so rude."

"We just wanted to say hello, that's all..."

Roland snorted in response.

"Save it for the dean, ladies. Charles, let's leave these bimbos and get out of here."

Charles nodded, eager to leave behind the tramps that dared to invade his space. The two of them walked out of the classroom as the three girls began to argue amongst each other. Charles turned to his friend and smiled.

"Thanks again, man. You sure know how to help a friend out."

"It's cool, dude, although you might want to tell the dean about this. Sexual harassment policy and all that jazz."

"I know, I know."

The two of them walked out of the building and onto the greater Parnassus campus of the university. Building of concrete, with the occasional grass lawn and tree, dotted the landscape. Benches lined the walkways as a thick blanket of clouds covered the skies above. Students and faculty alike made their way across the campus, carrying on a hurried pace.

Charles and Roland continued on, their pace slow and relaxed. They each took in the sights around them.

"Hey, you want to go the cafeteria, Charles? I'm starving. Dr. Roberts sure knows how to ramble on, doesn't he?"

"Yeah, he sure does..."

Charles, lost in his own thoughts, glanced at the sleeping tablet in his bag. He envisioned himself starring in films, playing not the role of the doctor being forced on him, but as the free spirit he wished he could be. He wanted to be a shining star, bringing to life characters on the silver screen, to be seen by hundreds of thousands. Charles saw himself driving up in a limo, in a glamorous tuxedo, the object of the paparazzi's glitzy eye...

"Charles? You coming?"

On hearing Roland's words, Charles snapped out of his daydream.

"Oh, yeah, sure, let's get a bite to eat. I'm starving..."

* * *

 **12:30PM, Parnassus Cafeteria**

Charles and Roland sat across from each other at a cafeteria table. Between them, a half-finished hamburger and a bowl of nachos rested on the plastic. Roland dipped a chip into the cheese, munching on it with a loud crunch. Charles looked down at his tablet, his expression one of sadness and disappointment.

"Roland... You think I should've stood up to my father when he wanted me to come here?"

Roland shook his head.

"Are you still sad about not going to acting school?"

"I don't know... I don't have much interest in being a psychologist, but my dad really wants me to take on the family business when I get out of here. Says he wants to retire soon."

"You know your dad is going to flip if he finds out you bailed on school here. They don't just let anyone in here you know."

"That's the thing, too. I... I'm only here on my father's money. Everything I've ever gotten, my entire life... All I've ever accomplished is because of my family and the Victoria name. I want to be my own man. I want to make a name for myself, Roland. Just once in my life, I want to do something without my father being involved... On my own two feet. I can't live off his money forever..."

Charles looked away from his friend. From out of his bag, he pulled out an envelope, followed by a folded piece of paper from within it.

"On top of that... I got this in the mail. Palmaris Medical Research is offering me an internship. They want me to help with research and labwork. Dad thinks I should do it, says it's one of the best companies to intern for. I... I don't know if I should accept..."

"Well, your dad's got a point that acting school might not pay off. At least there's big money in the medical field, Charles. Everyone needs a doctor- some more than others. And Palmaris wants you? Damn, you've got it good! You should totally accept, man! Opportunities like that don't come knocking very often!"

"I suppose... I'm not sure if this is the opportunity for me..."

Charles frowned at the direction the conversation headed toward. He let out a sigh and took another bite of his hamburger. Roland let out a frown of his own.

"Say, I have an idea. Why don't you come with me to my mom's horse ranch for the weekend? It would get you out of the dorms for the weekend. You wouldn't have to think about this place, or dad, or the internship. Last, but not the least, you can get your mind off school for a bit. Howzaboutit, man?"

Charles tilted his head quizically at his friend's suggestion.

I haven't been there in years. We used to play with the horses there all the time. Man, it sure would be nice to see how Roland's family's doing...

"You serious?" Charles tilted his head in the other direction. "Is your mom going to be mad if I join you?"

"I don't think she'd be mad at all. As a matter of fact, she's been asking me about you, and was wondering if you were ever going to come back and visit again."

Charles smiled and took another bite of his hamburger. He crumpled up the wrapper, finishing his meal and throwing it away into the trashcan behind them.

"You're right... Maybe a little mini-vacation is the thing I need right now. When do you need me ready?"

Roland took a bite out of the last chip in his basket.

"Can you be ready in an hour? I want to get down there by 3."

Charles nodded.

"Alright, see you then! Thanks for the pep talk, man!"

"My pleasure, friend."

Charles waved goodbye and walked out of the cafeteria alone, a beaming smile on his face.

* * *

 **1:30PM, Panoramic Highway**

Wind blew through Charles' hair. In the back of Roland's car, a suitcase and a sleeping bag rested behind the passenger seat. The sun-kissed earth whizzed by him on either side. Despite the excitement he felt at getting away from San Francisco, a sense of foreboding filled his mind.

 _I should be happy about taking a well-deserved break from university. What's wrong with me?_

Charles felt a yawn escape his lips. He covered his mouth, another yawn through him. He glanced over at his friend, who turned the radio up while looking at the world with burgundy sunglasses. Tiredness crept over Charles as he sank back into the leather of the passenger seat and closed his eyes.

* * *

 _The bloated red sun hung over the earth. Cities, once pinnacles of human civilization, crumbled to ruin. Towering over the red earth, a giant monster walked through the streets on a pair of cloven hooves. Skulls and bone cracked under the monster's girth. Its burning demonic gaze reduced everything around it to ash. At its feet, an army of skeletons, lizard-men, boar-men, and other unspeakable horrors raced through the shattered ruins._

 _Like mauraders, they plundered the broken city and ravaged the land. Men, women, and children, round-eared and pointed-eared alike, ran screaming as the monsters descended on them. Alongside them, hybrid beings ran through the streets, crying out in alien tongues. Some had bodies of stone, others had the bodies of fish, while others bore sun-touched, otherworldly forms._

 _Blood sprayed the air and stained the concrete and asphalt. The giant demon sniffed the air with its pig-like snout, while crimson streamed down its fangs, tusks, and chin. Vermilion fur flailed in the dry wind. A thunderous roar echoed from the demon. Electricity surged through the trident in its clawed right hand, while in its left, it clasped onto three blood-stained golden triangles._

What is this? _Charles thought,_ Is that... The Triforce? And Ganon? What the hell **is** going on here?

 _At the feet of the demon were two complete skeletons- one dressed in a green tunic, and another dressed in royal regalia. Beside them were a pair of swords- an ornate rapier, and..._

...The Master Sword?

 _The terrible scene played on in Charles' vision. He could not look away or do anything to stop the images from invading his mind. Within the demon, a man's voice cries out in pain and agony. Like a marionette dancing to a puppet master, otherworldly fury consumed him, burning away any humanity that still remained._

 _A deep, booming baritone voice echoes across the desolation, roaring with laughter._

 _"Goddesses! Grant me my desire! Bring Hyrule back from the abyss! Let Terra's corpse become the foundation of your creation, reborn!"_

 _Four ethereal screams echoed across the skies as the very earth groaned under divine power. The very land and soil cried out, twisting, turning, and tearing itself apart. Three of the screams, Charles recognized: two belonged to a man and a woman, calling out in an alien language. The third..._

 _"Sam! Sam, wake up!"_

My voice...?

 _The fourth, an unknown woman, cried out to the demon with unwavering determination._

 _"Sam! Don't do this! Don't give into Ganon's will! Think of your wife! Think of your child! Don't let his hatred consume you! Sam! Sam!"_

 _Her words echoed in every direction as the earth shrugged and tore itself apart under the strain of the Triforce's power. Magical energy surged through the air. Magma rose up from beneath the earth, devouring the land and the sea. As the face of the earth rearranged itself, inhuman laughter drowned out the woman's cries..._

* * *

 **3:00PM, Monte Vista Ranch**

Charles' eyes snapped open. He bolted forward in the passenger seat of Roland's car, his heart racing and his breathing shallow and rapid. Roland's face loomed over his own, his eyebrow raised at his friend.

"You okay, man?" Roland asked, "You look like you were tripping on some serious shit, dude."

Charles blinked. The images from his nightmare still hung in his memory. The cries of the three voices, plus his own, haunted his mind, as did the rumbling of the earth and the roar of a demon. He shook his head in an attempt to block out the nightmare.

That's the last time I come over and watch you binge game on The Legend of Zelda, Roland. I don't even...

"Yeah, I'm fine..."

"Well, sleepyhead, we're here."

Without another word, Charles stepped out of the car. He opened up the door to the back passenger seats and pulled out his luggage. Even as he carried his suitcase and sleeping bag into the wooden house up the hill, the terrible images from his dream plagued his thoughts.

 _I haven't had a dream like that since... Jessica..._

He shook his head and buried the painful memory tied to that name.

 _I don't ever want to think about that again. Not now, not ever. I came here to relax and think about what I should do, not dredge up awful memories..._

Charles walked up the wooden steps. A black-haired, heavy set woman came up to the door. He smiled back at her, and the woman reciprocated with one of her own.

"Hey, Charles! Good to see you!"

"Good to see you as well, Mrs. Alberson."

Mrs. Alberson nodded her head and waved her hand in invitation at him. The smell of spices and meat wafted through the air. Charles felt his mouth water, his appetite for good wholesome food aroused.

"Come on in! Supper's just about ready!"

Her energetic voice rang through the warm air. The smell of berries and spices drifted throughout the mahogany walls of the cabin, just as it had done when he was a child. To Charles, it felt like he had never left this ranch. Memories ran through his mind of him as a boy, playing with the foals with his sisters while his mother and father watched from afar. He had not a worry or a care in the world back then.

 _"I want to grow up and be just like you, Dad!"_

 _Dad was a different person back then. All he cares about is keeping the family name alive now... I..._

Charles walked toward the guest bedroom of the cabin in silence. He placed his sleeping back and suitcase on a bunkbed in the room. Before he could think about anything else, Roland bursted through the door.

"Hey, you want to go ride the horses after dinner?"

"Yeah, sure. It's been a while since I've seen Stardust and Hercules."

"Mom's taken really good care of Starry, although she can be a bit of a wild child."

Charles chuckled.

"When _isn't_ that horse a wild child?"

"Alright man, don't want to hold you up. I'll come get you when dinner's ready, alright?"

"Sure thing, Roland. See you then."

Roland smiled as he closed the door behind him, leaving Charles alone with his thoughts. He looked around the room, staring at the cross-knit stitch art hanging off the walls. A small smile formed on his face as he pulled a stitching of a mustang off the wall.

 _God, this makes me feel like a kid again. Maybe this trip was a good idea after all._

* * *

 **3:15PM, Monte Vista Ranch, Dining Room**

Four people sat across from each other on a wooden dining table. Plates full of chicken, pulled pork, corn, mashed potatoes, and gravy passed around the gathering. Charles grabbed a couple spoonfuls of potatoes, along with a small helping of chicken and gravy. Without another thought, he quietly dug into his food. Roland, Mrs. Alberson, and her husband, Mr. Alberson, did the same.

"So, how's school going, Charles? Still living the dream?"

Charles paused between bites, unsure of how to articulate his thoughts.

"I'm thinking about starting over and going to acting school."

Mrs. Alberson cocked her head to the side and raised a brown eyebrow at him.

"Your dad is going to throw a fit if you do that, you know. I know how he really wants you to carry on the family profession, but if you don't feel your heart is in to being a psychologist, then he'll just have to have one of your sisters carry on his legacy instead."

Charles shook his head, unsure of how to respond to her statement.

"I don't want to let my father down, but... I don't know. I just wish he would think about my feelings for once. Maybe I'm overthinking this..."

"Your father places too much importance on his name and the money attached to that name. Ever heard the saying 'you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make them drink?'"

"Mrs. Alberson, what does that have to do with my father?"

"He can want you to be a doctor all he wants, but he can't make you be one. He can throw all the money in the world at you, but it won't change your nature. I know your dad wants to retire his practice soon, but you have a life of your own to live, son. You can't live in his shadow forever. Eventually, you're going to have to make a decision and be your own man."

Charles took a bite out of the pulled pork on his plate. The tender meat melted in his mouth. He twirled his fork around in his fingers pensively, letting the juicy flavor of the meat settle on his tongue before swallowing.

"I've got a lot to think about here. You're right, I am going to have to make my way on my own at some point. For right now, I just want to say thank you for the wonderful dinner. Your pulled pork is amazing, as always."

"My pleasure. Nice to see you around. Hope you can come back to visit us again some time, we'd love to have you over again."

* * *

 **4:45PM, Monte Vista Ranch, Fields**

Darkness fell on the landscape, blanketing everything in shadow. Off into the distance, a sliver of fading sunlight poked through the blanket of clouds above. Charles sat on his saddle as he held leather reins in his hands. His palomino mare, Stardust, trotted through the brushy dirt. Roland followed behind him on his own chestnut stallion, Hercules.

 _It feels good to be back here, but... something isn't right..._

"You okay, Charles? You haven't said much since we started riding an hour ago."

Charles turned around in his saddle to look at his friend.

"I'm fine. I think I just haven't been out here in a while, that's all."

Roland pursed his lips.

"We outta head back. It's getting really dark out here all of a sudden..."

Roland nodded. He brushed his hands through Hercules' black main. Hercules stopped in his tracks, his nostrils flairing. Stardust, too, ground to a full stop. The two horses looked up into the blackened heavens and let out frightened neighs.

"What's the matter, Herc?"

Eerie light surged through the clouds, flashing into the darkness. Charles and Roland froze in place, perplexed by what they saw. The skies above thundered and roared, groaning under the pressure of an otherworldly force. Light flashed closer and closer to them.

"What the hell?"

Before Roland could say anything else, white radiance flooded their vision. The two men held up their arms, blinded by the light. Charles watched the world around him fall away, shifting and changing into a void of white aether. Energy flooded his being, followed by overwhelming pain. Mind, body, and soul became twisted and ravaged by the void's assault.

At the edge of his awareness, a growing presence filled the void. Despite the relentless agony that assaulted his being, Charles looked into the void. A golden triangle, surrounded by a white and blue aura, hurtled toward him at break-neck speed. Paralyzed by the sparks of energy flying between him and the triangle, he could do nothing as the triangle slammed into his body.

He screamed at the top of his lungs. The triangle glowed a brilliant hue as it began to melt into his skin. He grabbed onto the triangle and tried to pull it out of his body. Charles' hands grasped the thin air, the triangle's infestation of his form completed.

From beyond the void, Stardust reared, screaming into the darkness. Charles' body flew onto the ground with a resounding thud. He felt his awareness fade into darkness, the sound of hooves pounding against the earth shifting to unnatural silence.

* * *

Pain unlike anything Zelda had ever felt in her entire existence surged through her very being. She squinted her eyes in the darkness and screamed at the top of her lungs. Light tore through her, binding her to another will. With every ounce of willpower she possessed, she sent her thoughts out into the darkness.

 _Link! Impa! Hear me!_

She pictured her champion and focused her pained thoughts on him. She did not know if he still lived, or if the light had ravaged and destroyed him along with the world they had known and loved. Zelda, in spite of the everlasting torment that overwhelmed her, prayed for his safety.

 _Please, Goddesses... Protect the Hero... Protect our ray of light in this dark hour..._

Relentless agony gave way to numbing oblivion. For what seemed like an eternity, she felt nothing, saw nothing, and thought nothing-until biting wind pulled at her awareness. Her eyes snapped open, and she bolted onto her side. Pain ran down her entire right side, as though she had been thrown off a horse. Zelda pulled herself onto uneven legs, gritting her teeth as she did so.

Her eyes scanned the vast field around her. The air around her felt different, as did the very land beneath her feet. Dry wind blew through her hand, lacking the familiar pulse of magic that flowed through her kingdom.

 _...Where am I?_

As she moved her head and gazed at the mountainous horizon, her heart sank. The edge of the forest, the cloudy peak of Death Mountain... The very kingdom she loved with all her heart had vanished before her eyes, and in its place stood a landscape rugged, vast, and unlike the place she called home.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted an unconscious body in the darkness. She hobbled over to the body, hoping and praying that they still lived. Her fingers brushed against the finger's shoulder as she turned the body over. She clasped her hand over her mouth and gasped.

Before her laid the corpse of a young man. His left ear, small and rounded, stood in direct contrast to his right, which carried the characteristic ear of a Hylian. All down the right side of his body, bulbous, pussy protrustions burst from his flesh, laying exposed to the dark, moonless night around her. His skin felt cold and lifeless to the touch.

 _No... Oh Gods, no..._

Zelda turned the body back over, horrified. Her gaze drifted toward her hands- hands that did not belong to her. In place of the slender, feminine fingers she had possessed since birth, thicker masculine ones had taken their place. As Zelda's gaze traveled down her arm and at the alien form moving to her will, she felt her fear creep up her throat.

This form did not belong to her. It belonged to a man. She closed her eyes and fell onto her knees.

 _Link..._

She called out for her hero, wishing for him to whisk her away from the nightmare that had become her reality.

 **But no one came.**


	4. The Fall of Flight 791

**Soulbound**

Prologue, Part IV - Link: The Fall of Flight 791

 **Earth, Florida, United States - Miami International Airport, South Terminal**  
 **February 29, 2016 CE**  
 **12:00PM, Eastern Standard Time**

Jet engines roared through the air. A large passenger plane descended on the runway, rubbery tires scraping against the asphalt. The plane slowly ground to a halt. Several men and women rushed down a metal staircase to the passenger door on the outer hull. Moments later, the door opened.

One after another, men, women, and children stepped off the plane and walked into the south terminal with confused, bewildered expressions. A young woman gazed up at the humid, tropical skies above, her long coppery brown hair blowing in the breeze. She shifted her focus to the airport beyond, her face scrunched up in a frustrated expression.

 _This is the last time I fly with United._

She stepped into the building and watched as suitcase after suitcase passed through baggage claim carousels throughout the terminal. The woman took a seat in one of the nearby chairs and pulled out her smartphone. She tapped the touch screen and began to dial numbers. Sighing, she held the receiver up to her ear and awaited an answer.

"Hello?"

The voice belonged to an elderly man. In spite of her frustration, the woman smiled at the sound of his voice.

"Hey, Grandpa! It's Alex."

Alex could hear the smile on the other end as her grandfather's voice continued.

"Alex! This is rather unexpected. Is something the matter?"

"Hey, I don't have much time to talk, roaming charges around here are insane. I was just calling to let you know that my flight got diverted- something about engine trouble. I'm currently stuck in Miami waiting for another plane to take me to San Juan. If Darcy calls, tell her I'll be a few hours late."

"Well, not much you can do there, I suppose. Thanks for calling and letting me know you're safe, hun."

"I'll call you when I'm at their place, okay? Sorry to cut this short, Grandpa, but I have to go check in now. I love you, and I'll talk to you later. Bye."

Alex tapped the touch screen on her phone and ended the call. She slumped over in her chair, groaning in frustration. From underneath her black shirt, her stomach rumbled. Despite of her growing hunger, she stood up and walked through the airport. She spotted the check-in counters and frowned at the growing line for the United Airlines counter.

 _Well, looks like this'll take a while._

Not wanting to deal with the line, she peered through the mass of bodies wading in and out of the south terminal. Shops and concession stands lined the building. Alex dug into her purse and pulled out her wallet. As she fumbled around for some spare cash, she tapped her right foot, which tingled.

 _Hell of a time for my foot to fall asleep..._

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a Subway restaurant. The sight, as well as the smell of toasted cheese and meatballs, made her stomach rumble even more. Eager to appease her appetite, she stepped into the line and waited. Moments later, she walked away and began to devour a sandwich.

 _Thank you, cheap processed commercial food. You're a life-saver! I was afraid I'd end up getting hangry... And no one likes me when I'm hangry._

Alex took her place in the check-in line, tapping her right foot as she munched on her sandwich. She peeked at the line in front of her and frowned. Little by little, the prickling sensation in her right foot began to ease. From out of her purse, she pulled out a set of earbuds and a music player.

May as well keep myself amused while I'm here...

She looked at the golden Nintendo 3DS in her pocket longingly. As much as she wanted to play games on it, she zipped up her purse and inched further and further up the check-in line. Minutes later, she made it to the counter.

"Hi, may I help you?" The clerk asked.

Alex removed the earbuds and paused her music player.

"Hi, I'm Alex Donovan from the plane that came out of Portland, Oregon. My flight diverted here because of engine trouble with the plane or something, so I just wanted to check in and see when I'd be able to continue my flight."

"Sure thing. May I see your passport and boarding pass?"

Alex dug through her purse and pulled out her boarding pass and a small passport booklet. She handed it over to the check-in clerk. For what seemed to last forever, she input information into the computer at her station.

"Ah yes, here you are. You will be transferring over to Flight 791, headed to San Juan, Puerto Rico. So far, we estimate a wait of three hours before the plane will be ready."

Alex looked back at her, incredulous. She slammed her hands down on the counter in frustration.

"Are you fucking **_kidding_** me?! Look, it's bad enough that I'm stuck here, and now you're going to make me wait another three hours, on top of the remainder of my flight? This is absolutely ridiculous!"

The check-in clerk handed her a voucher.

"I apologize for the inconvenience. We will post an announcement when your flight is ready for boarding. That voucher is good for any one-way flight on our airline. Again, I'm sorry about the mishap with your flight today."

"Will I need to check my bags with you again, or am I good there, at least?"

"Nope, you're fine, Miss Donovan. Your baggage will be transferring to Flight 791 as well. Is there anything else I can help you with today?"

"Not at all. Thanks a million... you've been absolutely swell..."

Alex rolled her eyes and stepped away from the counter. Annoyed at the turn of events, she sat down at a chair. She rubbed the bridge of her nose. Rummaging through her purse, she pulled out her Nintendo 3DS, flipped it open, and turned the power on.

 _Well, may as well make the best of things, I suppose..._

She stared at the dual screens, her eyes glazing over the large collection of games on the screen.

 _Hmm... Not really in the mood for the original,_ Adventure of Link _kicks my ass way too much... Eh, I played_ A Link to the Past _last week,_ A Link Between Worlds _the week before that one... So that just leaves_ Ocarina of Time 3D _,_ Majora's Mask 3D _, or_ Hyrule Warriors Legends _. Can't say I'm really in the mood for_ Hyrule Warriors _anything right now, so that just leaves those two..._

Alex waved her finger over the bottom screen in thought. She tapped the icon of the Hylian Shield on the screen.

 _Oh Oh Tee Three Dee, I choose you!_

* * *

 **1:00PM, South Terminal Lobby**

 _I hate this fucking mini game so much._

Alex furrowed her eyebrows at the game in front of her. She watched the figure of Child Link playing an ocarina in front of two skull kids playing a song on a drum. As she attempted to follow along with the button inputs on the screen, a familiar dong filled her earbuds.

"I swear to God, I'm going to break this fucking mini game! I'm pushing all the right buttons... Why won't it let me get the heart piece?!"

Her fingers slipped on the buttons, and another dong filled her ears. She growled in frustration. As she saved her game and powered down her 3DS, she shoved it back into her purse and furrowed her eyebrows. A yawn escaped her lips.

 _You know what? I'll deal with that stupid game later. I'm too tired for this crap._

Alex rested her head on the back of her chair. She felt her eyes begin to droop...

* * *

 _Panicked screams filled the cabin of the jet. All around her, Alex watched complete pandemonium consume the passengers. Like lightning from the heavens, streaks of otheworldly light flashed around her. With widened eyes, she looked out the window beside her, and watched fire erupt from the jets under the wing outside._

 _The plane tossed and turned, sending Alex and the other passengers flying in every direction. She grabbed onto a seat for dear life. For a brief moment, the plane stabilized, and she fell onto the floor. Alex wiped the blood from her brow and gazed in front of her._

 _All around her, the human passengers of the plane became twisted by the light, shifting into grotesque and alien forms. Some grew rocks out of newly hunched backs, while fins erupted from the skin of others. Alex remained frozen in place, too horrified to look away from the scene unfolding before her._

What's going on?! What's happening?!

 _The twisted passengers cried out in alien tongues, their voices filled with desperation. Alex felt a scaled hand grab onto her shoulder, pulling her toward it. With a startled gasp, found herself face-to-face with one of the corrupted passengers, its face a twisted amalgam of man and fish._

 _"Help... Me...!"_

 _Alex screamed at the top of her lungs and pushed the monstrosity away from her. Through the corner of her eye, she saw a wall of light descend on the plane. Like a wall, it raced down the plane with frightening speed. Alex ran away from the light with all the speed she could muster. She tore open door after door, jumping over every obstacle in her way._

 _When she reached the door to the cockpit, she stopped in her tracks. Standing at the front of the plane, a green-clad figure faced the door, his pointed green cap flailing in the unnatural wind around them. Long, pointed ears jetted out from the sides of his head, while tufts of blond hair poked out from underneath his hat. Alex shook her head, not believing her eyes._

What the...?!

 _She tensed as he turned to look over his left shoulder. His blue eye peered into her green eyes, piercing her soul, while his pupil gleamed with the same eerie light that ravaged the jet around them. The floor of the plane groaned and trembled beneath their feet. From beyond the cabin, the wall of light descended on them. Alex screamed at the top of her lungs as she became absorbed by the light. She reached out toward the figure before disappearing into the white void..._

* * *

3:50PM, South Terminal Lobby

Alex's eyes snapped open. She bolted forward and nearly fell to the ground, her heart racing.

"All passengers for Flight 791, please proceed to Gate G4. The flight bound for San Juan, Puerto Rico will be departing soon. I repeat..."

 _I overslept! Oh shit!_

She rushed to her feet, turned her cell phone off, and tossed it into her purse. As she slung her purse over her shoulder, she darted up out of her chair. As fast as her legs could carry her, she ran through the terminal. When she spotted Gate G4, she made a beeline through the tunnel leading out of the terminal. She stepped onto the plane and looked for her seat.

 _I hope I'm not too late..._

Alex made her way through first class and opened the door to coach. She looked around the cabin, searching for her seat. When she spotted the empty seat in the third row of the economy class seating, she breathed a sigh of relief. Wading her way through the people beside her, she took her seat on the plane. Even as she watched the setting sun through the window, she could not shake the images of her dream out of her head.

 _That... was the freakiest shit I've ever seen. It's like... Those people were turning into Gorons and Zora... Fucking Christ, what a nightmare..._

She laid her head against the back of the seat.

 _Alright... Calm down... It was just a bad dream, that's all... It's not real... It's not real at all..._

Alex looked up at the ceiling of the plane and sighed.

 _But if it's just a dream... why do I have this sinking feeling all of a sudden?_

In front of her, the flight attendants went over emergency procedures for the flight. Alex paid little attention to them, having sat through them before. She let out a yawn, reached into her purse, and pulled out her neck pillow. The floor of the plane shook as the jet engines roared to life.

Within moments, the plane ran down the runway and ascended into the heavens. As Miami International Airport disappeared below her, Alex squirmed in her seat, trying to get comfortable amid the lack of space.

 _If I ever fly again, I'm so saving up for a first class ticket. These seats are freaking awful... I can never get comfortable in them no matter how hard I try..._

Alex sank into her neck pillow and closed her eyes, drifting off into an awkward half-sleep.

* * *

 **4:50PM Atlantic Standard Time, Above the Caribbean Sea**

Darkness fell on the horizon. From within the cockpit of the passenger jet, the pilot and co-pilot monitored the instruments in front of them. Radio communications blasted through the headsets on their ears. The co-pilot peered through the clouds around them, watching the growing darkness with unease.

"This doesn't feel right..."

"You're telling me. I've never seen it get this dark on a February night like this before. This doesn't feel natural at all..."

Off into the distance, the pilot spotted a brief spark of light in the dark clouds. Flashes of lightning, laced with eerie light, shimmered in the growing night. With blinding speed, the mounting storm grew closer and closer to them. The pilot looked on with widened eyes.

"What the-"

Before he could react, energy surged through the cockpit. Sparks flew from the instruments as power flickered on and off, erratic and unstable. The pilot held onto the steering wheel of the plane. Desperate to regain control of the aircraft, he turned toward his co-pilot.

"I've lost control!"

Like a thundering tempest, the eerie light flared around them, flooding the cabin. The two of them wailed in pain as the light consumed them.

* * *

The plane rolled and pitched violently in the air. Without warning, Alex collided with the seat in front of her. She pulled herself away from the seat, startled by the events transpiring around her. She glanced outside at the storm of light outside. She shook her head in absolute disbelief.

 _No..._

A loud boom resounded throughout the cabin. The plane dipped onto its side, sending the flight attendants as well as carry-on luggage tumbling onto the floor. Alex grabbed onto her seat for dear life.

 _This is not happening. This can't be happening!_

Before her very eyes, her nightmare played out before her. Energy surged through the plane. Alex felt her heart pounding in her chest as the light entranced the other passengers around her.

"No! Don't look at it! **Don't look at the light!** " She shouted.

Wails of agony and screams of terror filled the air. All around her, absolute pandemonium ensued as men, women, and children rushed to shield each other from the light. Those touched by the light collapsed onto the floor of the cabin, writhing in anguish at the physical, mental, and spiritual assault on their beings.

Alex unbuckled herself from her seat and rushed towards the other passengers not touched by the light. One by one, their bodies underwent a metamorphosis. For some, fins erupted from their bodies, while others began to take on hunchbacked, rock-like forms. The plane dipped and bowed around them, tossed around at the mercy of the dimensional storm around them. Alex screamed as she flew across the cabin and into the back of a seat.

She pulled herself onto her feet, and for a brief moment, the plane stabilized. Alex touched her forehead and felt warm blood running down her face. She backed away and covered her mouth, horrified at the nightmare turned reality. Without warning, she felt a scaled hand grab onto her shoulder.

 **"Ahhhhh! Get off me!"**

"Help... Me... Please... God!"

Without looking, she pushed the hybrid being away from her. Alex looked down on the floor and saw a flight attendant crawl onto her feet. She looked up at Alex with a mortified expression.

"What in God's name...?"

Alex shook her head.

"Lady, there's no time! How do we get off this plane?!"

The flight attendant shook her head in response.

"Ma'am, we're thirty thousand feet up in the air. Even if we were to head to the emergency exit, cabin decompression will kill us!"

Booms and groans rocked the plane. From out of the corner of her eye, Alex watched as the wings of the jet erupted into balls of flame. She turned toward the cabin door behind her and pulled it open. Glancing over her left shoulder, she called out to the other passengers unchanged by the light.

"Everyone! Get to the cockpit! Hurry, before the light touches you, too!"

One by one, a flood of people followed Alex. The flight attendant held up her hand in protest.

"Wait!"

Before she could get another word in, Alex and the group of people following her had disappeared up the fuselage.

Without looking back, she ran through the aisles of the plane, jumping and pushing aside anything and everything that got in her way.

A glimmer of light manifested behind her, passing through the plane like an ethereal wall that consumed everything in its path. Alex dared not stop for the flight attendant, who followed them behind the wall in hot pursuit. Screams echoed behind her as passengers intent on following her tripped, fell, and became consumed by the wall of light. One by one, the light absorbed them and worked its terrible power on their forms, until only Alex remained.

She ran, fueled by her will to survive. Although she could hear the flight attendant's voice calling out to her, she dared not turn around, knowing full well the force that chased her. When she reached the door to the cockpit, she expected the figure from her dream to appear before her. Nothing remained in the gallery of the plane- nothing but a door of metal.

"Help! Somebody help!"

She pounded on the door, crying out to the pilots within to save her and everyone else on board.

 **But no one came.**

Nothing but their maddened wails filled the air. With nowhere to go and nowhere to run, Alex collapsed onto her knees.

 _Oh God... Please no... Please let me wake up from this nightmare...!_

With tears in her eyes, she cried out at the top of her lungs. She called out to God, to her grandfather, to anything and anyone...

 **But no one came.**

She cried out for release from the chaos that surrounded her. Alex prayed for a miracle to come.

 **But no one came.**

The wall of light descended on the fuselage. Alex closed her eyes and screamed in agony as the white void consumed her. She could not breathe. Light paralyzed her, tearing into her very being. In spite of the pain that surged throughout her body, she clung on.

 _No... I don't want to die!_

Like an ominous ink staining her mind, the light invaded her thoughts. It pierced her very essence. At the edge of the void, she felt a presence. She forced her eyes open and watched as a golden triangle, shimmering with a brilliant white and green aura, hurtled toward her. Alex mustered all of her willpower to raise her arms in front of her body. Her muscles tensed and twitched, powerless before the void.

It phased through her arms and collided with her chest. Her eyes widened as she fell limp, unable to stop the object from melting into her flesh and entwining itself with her heart. Pain unlike anything she ever felt before traveled through her body. Time ceased to exist. The white void fell away and Alex crumpled to the floor of the fuselage. Reality darkened as she fell screaming into the black abyss. Oblivion blanketed her, and she knew no more.

* * *

Link's blood curdling screams echoed throughout the darkness. The light ravaged his being, tearing into his very essence. Like a needle through thread, it pierced his soul, boring into him over and over and over again. He lurched backward in the abysm, helpless before the energy that had ensnared him and his world.

 _ **No!**_

His eyes snapped open. He tumbled onto his side, unable to control his body. Instead of the foreboding darkness of Ganon's Castle, Link found himself in an alien place. Bright flourescent lights flickered around him, casting everything in ever-shifting light and shadow. The floor holding up his body shook and groaned, as though falling apart at the seams. Spasms of pain racked his body, sending Link squirming on the ground.

 _What is this?!_

Link squeezed his eyes shut, the surging agony rending his flesh. With every ounce of willpower he possessed, he turned himself face down and pushed himself off the carpeted floor. He clenched his teeth as he forced himself onto his feet, propping himself on the metal door behind him.

A high-pitched ringing filled his ears as another spasm ran down his spine. Everything blurred in and out of focus. He steeled himself and pushed the long, coppery brown hair out of his eyes.

 _Huh...?_

He held trembling hands up to his face, gazing at them as though they were foreign entities. Small, slender hands belonging to a woman responded to his will. The soft glow of the Triforce of Courage glimmered on the back of the woman's left hand. As his gaze traveled down the rest of the alien form he now inhabited, a wave of pain tore through his body, sending him reeling.

Link fell onto the floor and screamed at the top of his lungs. Light cracked and seized around him, singeing the air with otherworldly power. He watched as the light within him snaked down his arms and surrounded his form.

 _What's happening to me?!_

* * *

The flight attendant ran through the cabin of the plane, ignoring the absolute chaos erupting around her. Concern for the young woman that tried to save the other passengers filled her. Amid the screams that filled the air, the bone-chilling cries of a young man tore through the air, replacing the woman's wail of suffering. She stopped in her tracks, chilled to the very core by the sound.

 _No... Don't tell me I'm too late!_

To her own horror, the man's screams echoed from the gallery before the cockpit... where the woman she had been chasing ran off to. She gathered herself and ran toward the front of the plane. Light flashed from behind the door to the gallery. The flight attendant took a deep breath and forced the door open.

Facing the door to the cockpit, a masculine figure clothed in green knelt on the floor. Deep, gasping breaths escaped from the being before her. The flight attendant froze where she stood while the figure rose to his feet. Volts of white energy sizzled and danced around him for a brief moment, while his body began to relax.

The figure rose to his feet, the skirt of his tunic brushing against his thighs. His pointed green cap swayed in the unnatural wind blowing through the fuselage, the tip brushing midway down his back. Long, pointed ears poked out from the sides of his head. The flight attendant watched as he held his hands in front of him, tilting his head in a puzzled manner. The figure glanced over his left shoulder at her. She let out a gasp as he turned around to face her.

Blond hair framed his face. His left eye, an azure blue, flickered with the same terrible light that ravaged the aircraft around them. She recognized the green hue of the figure's right eye, the very same as the woman's eyes who fled here moments ago. He stared back at her with a confused expression.

"Oh my God..."

The flight attendant backed away, horrified by the presence before her. Concern filled the figure's eyes as he offered a gauntleted left hand to her.

* * *

Link gazed into the frightened eyes of the woman in front of him. She looked at him as though a demon stood poised to devour her. He offered his hand out to her, only to watch her shrink back in fear of him. Link found himself confused and dismayed by her reaction.

"I'm not going to harm you. Please don't be frightened of me..."

She shook her head at him, her confusion at his words palpable even to him. The woman peered back at him, as though she hadn't understood anything he uttered. She pushed the door open behind her, crying out in an alien language. Link shook his head.

 _What the...? What is going on here? Why is she looking at me like that?_

"Wait!" Link called out to the woman, "Please, wait!"

The plane dipped to its right side. Link grabbed onto a nearby door, in an effort to keep his balance. Turbulence rocked the air around him. Behind him, on the otherside of the door to the cockpit, the sound of metal bending screeched the air, like nails on a chalkboard. The door burst open as two entities fell through the door, their eyes possessed of the light and filled with crazed madness.

Like twisted amalgamations, they appeared as something neither human nor Goron, but something stuck in between. Link jumped to the side as they threw heavy-handed punches at him. They screamed at the top of their lungs, clutching their heads in pain. He shook his head at the sight before him.

 _No... This can't be happening..._

He looked down at his own hands. Though they carried the likeness of the hands he had known since birth, the slightly smaller size of them drew more towards the woman's hands he possessed before. As his eyes traveled down a muscular arm and body, he found himself staring not at his original form restored, but at a hybridized body twisted by the light's influence.

 _What_ _ **is**_ _this?!_

His strength, taken from him when the light absorbed him and Hyrule, now filled this body totally and completely. Despite the upset he felt at his twisted body, the screams and cries of the other passengers on board the plane tore him away from his thoughts. Link looked through the open door the woman ran through with widened eyes.

Complete and utter pandemonium ensued in the passenger cabin outside. Humanoid forms, twisted between shapes of the various tribes that inhabited his home, assaulted and attacked one another, their maddened eyes ablaze with the light's power. He pushed his feelings aside and called out to them.

"Listen to me! Don't give into the light's madness! Fight it! Regain yourselves!"

As he called out to the amalgams before him, a Zoran hybrid leaped at him. Link grabbed his arms and held him off, gritting his teeth admidst the rabid stare the hybrid cast on him. He threw him onto the carpeted floor. As he raced down the aisles of seats, he looked outside the windows of the plane and gasped.

 _What is this thing?_

Boundless sea hovered below a metallic wing. In the dark clouds outside, the storm of light began to recede before vanishing into the darkness from whence it came. Clouds fell away from the wings of the plane as the craft fell from the heavens. Everyone on board began tumbling down toward the cockpit of the plane.

Link hung onto the seat beside him. A loud boom thundered through the fuselage, followed by an explosion. The left side hull of the plane burst open. Like a drain becoming unplugged, a torrential wind sucked everything out of the plane. Link found himself pulled in by the force of decompression. Minute by minute, he plummeted toward waters of the sea below.

He drew deep within himself, calling on the force of magic flowing in his veins. A green wind surrounded him, and he twisted his body around in a corkscrew maneuver. Green light whisked him away, moving him closer to the water and breaking his fall. He crashed into the water with a splash.

Bubbles fizzed around him. Fire glimmered on the surface of the dark waters above. Link held his breath and swam to the surface. With a gasp, his head pierced the surface of the sea. He looked at the heavens, and watched as the plane became engulfed by fire. It crashed into the water, and with a loud boom, exploded.

He turned his attention to the screams around him. Like boulders, the Goron hybrids that survived the fall into the water sank to the bottom of the watery abyss beneath them, disappearing into darkness. Other bodies, both Zoran and humanoid alike, floated lifelessly in the water. He shook his head at the sight around him.

 **"No!"**

Link swam toward the wreckage and the other survivors floating in the water. Off into the distance, he spotted the still body of the woman he encountered. As he watched her begin to sink into the water, he doubled his efforts to reach her. He fought the ocean currents, which threatened to drag him down along with the other casualties of the night.

He dove into the water. Despite the sting of the salty sea water in his eyes, Link grabbed the woman's arm and began pulling her to the surface. He swam toward a piece of wreckage floating on the water. The woman's head bobbed in his arm. As he grabbed onto a sheet of metal floating in the water, he feared the worst.

Frantic, he pushed her body out of the water and onto the sheet of metal. The woman began to cough up water. Relieved by her signs of life, he shifted his gaze back to the sea, in search of other survivors. Link felt his fatigue worsen, and as minutes passed, he found himself struggling to keep his head above water.

 _I have to help them... I have to..._

His body sank into the water. He tried to push his body further, to pierce the surface again, but the right side of his body would not move. The light in his left eye began to flicker and fade as Link felt his consciousness slip away. Darkness enveloped the world around him, drowning out all other awareness. Before the black abyss consumed him completely, he reached into a pouch and pulled out a mask depicting the face of a Zora.

 _I'm not... gonna... die here..._

Link placed the mask on his face. Memories of the dead assaulted his mind. He lacked the energy to scream. He could do nothing more than close his eyes and allow the magic of the mask to embrace his twisted form.

* * *

 **And on that day, the world was changed forever.**


	5. Tainted Blood

**Soulbound**

Chapter I - Ganondorf: Tainted Blood

 **Minnesota, United States - Northfield Hospital  
February 29, 2016 CE (2 Eldin, 1437 HCE Hyrulean Reckoning)  
7:20 PM, Central Standard Time**

Flashing red and blue lights flared around the rubble of Northfield Hospital. Sectioned off by a strip of yellow police tape, firefighters and rescue workers dug through the ruins in search of survivors. One by one, they drug corpses out from underneath slaps of concrete, broken glass, and other equipment.

Police dispatch voices echoed across two-way radios. Two police officers turned around as a silver car drove up to the scene. A pair of detectives stepped out of the car. From out of their trench coats, they pulled out silver police badges. The two looked at the police officer as they put their badges away.

"Hell of a night it's been, detectives."

Brenner took a sip of his coffee. The scene before him made him want to retch. A cloud of negativity hung over the ruins. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as dogs whimpered and whined, afraid to do their duties. He steeled himself in spite of the malevolent aura that clung to the air.

"What do we have so far?" Brenner asked.

The cold, winter air bit Brenner's ears. With his free hand, he brushed his black hair out of his blue eyes. He fumbled with the lid of his thermos, the aroma of his coffee filling the air. The police officer handed him his police report.

"Three hundred dead, eight injured... and two unaccounted for."

Kelly nodded his head and looked at his partner. His brown eyes surveyed the disaster before them, brushing his matching hair out of his eyes. He adjusted the rim of his glasses as he opened his mouth to speak.

"Who is still missing?"

"A couple by the name of Alicia and Samson Blackwell. Nurses said he was brought here after falling down the stairs in his house during that thunderstorm."

Glancing his eyes over the paperwork, Kelly's thoughts drifted toward the massive power outage that resulted from that storm. Something did not sit right with him. Even now, he could not shake the sickening feeling that welled in the pit of his stomach. Between the high-pitched whining of search and rescue dogs, and the sheer enmity the ruins before him exuded, it made the hairs on Kelly's back stand on end.

"Has the bomb squad found anything?" Brenner asked.

"Bomb squad found nothing there, Detective. About the only two people who've been able to give any sort of lead is a guard who worked here and a little girl that was with him."

Kelly and Brenner glanced at one another before turning back to the rubble. They crossed over the police tap and scanned the scenery around them for clues. On the concrete slabs, forensic analysts collected blood samples from the walls. Brenner's eyes traced the pattern of gore and the claw marks in the stone.

 _It's like some wild animal did this... I've never seen anything like it..._

"What do you make of this, Matt?"

Kelly knelt down onto the concrete. With latex gloves, his fingers studied the evidence before them.

"I'm not sure what we're dealing with here at all. Nothing _human_ could have done this..."

Brenner felt a shudder travel down his spine. Like a dark cloud, a malevolent aura hovered around the building. He glanced around and watched as trained search and rescue dogs whimpered and whined, refusing to perform their jobs or go anywhere near the wreckage. The very sight of this place chilled him more than anything else in his career ever had.

The detectives turned around and walked back toward the police officer.

"What was the girl's name?" Kelly asked.

The police officer blinked at them.

"Emily Blackwell."

Kelly paused for a moment before speaking. Off to the side, an armed hospital guard stood beside an adolescent girl, who sobbed uncontrollably. He turned toward them with a concerned glance.

"I see. Thank you..."

Emily could not stop sobbing, nor could she get the horrific images out of her head. The screams of the other people in the hospital haunted her thoughts. The laugh of the demon wearing her father's face bore into her, as did his glowing right eye. She cupped her face in her hands.

The guard beside her offered his shoulder to her, not knowing what else to do. He, too, could not shake the terrible chills that ran through every inch of his body. Emily burrowed her face into his shoulder, clutching him for dear life. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw two detectives in trenchcoats approach them.

"Hello, I'm Detective Kyle Brenner, and this is my partner, Detective Matthew Kelly. We'd like to ask you some questions about what happened here tonight."

The guard glanced at Emily before returning his gaze back at the detectives in front of him.

"I'll try to help you as best as I can, but this little girl is pretty shaken up. I don't know where the rest of her family is..."

"We'll take care of her," Kelly said, "Now, let's start from the beginning."

The guard drew in a deep breath before exhaling.

"It started out normal enough. We don't usually get much trouble around here, aside from the mentally ill and the drug addicts we get from time to time. I had just started my shift after letting the morning crew go home for the day. At around 5 PM, the hospital and everywhere around us got hit by that storm.

"Scared us all pretty badly. It took a bit for the generators to kick in and for things to go back to normal. Shortly afterward, the hospital got slammed with emergency patients. There was this one guy among them- short brown hair, grizzled face, white shirt, slacks, bare feet. Nobody wanted to go near him... Something about him just... put you on edge, you know?"

Brenner shook his head.

"Can you be a little more specific?"

The guard sighed.

"I'm not sure how I can be more specific than that. He just radiated pure evil. None of us knew why we felt the way we did, but we don't choose who lives or who dies. As they drag him off to the ER, I start making my rounds through cardiology. Before I even get a few feet down the hall, the screaming starts. This angry roar echoes through the halls, followed by frantic cries of the nurses and doctors trying to get a handle on the situation.

"After that, all I heard was gunfire, screams, and this deep, booming voice. I couldn't understand a word it said. It was speaking some sort of weird, alien language. I ran downstairs with some of the other guards and began to evacuate the building. When I and a few others made it to the hospital lobby, we ran into this little girl and her mother.

"I kept on telling her to leave, but this lady wouldn't have none of it. She was determined to stay and wait for her husband. She even tried to get around me, but I wouldn't let her. As the lady argued with me back and forth, the ceiling came down in front of us. The guy from before jumps down from above.

"He shambled toward us like a zombie. I'll never forget that stare he gave us, nor that eye of his..."

Kelly raised an eyebrow at the guard, as did Brenner.

"The white of his right eye glowed this sickly yellow, while that green iris glared at us like we were prey. He came at us with that homicidal gaze, laughing like a madman. This dark energy runs up his right arm, and it turns into some kind of claw. The woman calls out to him, thinking it's her husband or something. As he's about ready to go for her jugular, something stops him in his tracks.

"He blinks, and his right eye turns almost normal... except for the gold iris. Inky blackness crawls up his body, and he begs the woman to run away. I stumble backward, and then drag this little girl out of the hospital. I run as fast as my legs can carry me, not looking back at all. When I get to the middle of the parking lot, the building explodes.

"This giant shadow rises from the rubble. He had this long, wild, flaming red hair, small pointed ears, and this topaz jewel on his forehead. His skin was dark, almost as black as the armor he was wearing. He had this hawkish nose, and this nasty scowl on his face. He slings the woman's body over a golden, clawed gauntlet and just vanishes... that glowing eye of his gleaming... God, he had to have been at least seven feet tall, maybe more than that..."

Brenner and his partner looked at the guard, their expressions unreadable and blank. The guard shook and trembled, as rattled by the turn of events as the little girl crying into his shoulder. Neither of them knew what to make of his story, or of the ominous figure the man before them described. They turned to each other before looking back down at the little girl.

Kelly motioned toward Emily. Emily poked her head up from the guard's shoulders and looked up at them, her lips quivering. Tears streamed down her moist cheeks, while puffy eyes could barely contain the torrent of emotion streaming through her mind.

"Are you Emily Blackwell?" Kelly asked.

Emily nodded.

"Is what this man saying true? Was your mother taken by this... figure?"

"Y-yes..."

At that point, Emily descended into another fit of sobbing. Frantic, she cried out to the detectives.

 **"Please! Please bring back my Mom and Dad... I don't want to be all alone..."**

Kelly walked over and knelt down in front of the girl. He placed a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder. For a brief moment, her sobs quieted. He pushed on the rim of his glasses with his free hand, and softened his voice.

"We'll find the guy who took your parents, hun. I promise."

He looked around. Brenner nodded his head at him, and he turned back toward Emily.

 _I know she's in no condition to tell us anything further, but I have to push this. This all seems so... unbelieveable, though. No child should have to lose their parents like this..._

Kelly felt his upset at the little girl's situation rise. Regardless of the guard's story, this girl needed help. His heart went out to Emily and her situation. Despite the emotion that boiled beneath his stoic face, he pressed her further for more information.

"Was there anything going on at home? Were your parents fighting at all?"

Emily tried to steel herself, to regain control of her emotions for a brief time.

"D-dad was... w-was t-t-talking about s-s-separating... from M-mom. E-every other day, t-they'll a-a-argue and y-yell at o-one another. I-I've t-tried to t-talk to m-my D-dad about it, but i-it's only e-e-ever got-t-ten worse. H-he's alm-most n-nev-ver h-home, w-while M-mom is a-a-alw-ways t-t-taking me o-out to go sh-sh-shopping with h-her."

"What do your parents argue about?"

"M-m-money..." Emily squeezed her eyes shut.

 **"Please! I just want my family back! I don't want Mom and Dad to leave!"**

Emily, unable to restrain herself any longer, fell once again into a fit of uncontrollable sobs. Kelly tried to speak with her, but she remained unresponsive to his voice. He closed his eyes and stood back up on his feet. Sensing he was not going to get anywhere further, he turned to his partner.

"I think we've done all we can here, Kyle. Let's go."

Brenner nodded and focused his attention on the guard and the little girl.

"Thank you for your help tonight. We will call you if we find out anything new on this case."

The two of them handed them their business cards, and with nothing else to say, took their leave of that foreboding place. They stepped into their car and drove off into the dark, Minnesota night.

* * *

 **Northfield Police Department  
March 1, 2016 (3 Eldin, 1437 HCE Hyrulean Reckoning)  
8:45 AM**

"All around the world, reports are pouring in over men, women, and children mutating into alien forms after being touched by the light from a storm that swept across the globe last night. As you can see behind me, the changes to this man's body are extensive. So far, no one knows what the cause of these changes are. I've never seen anything like this, George! Millions of Americans have been affected by this event, and with no clear sign from the White House on what to do, things are looking very uncertain indeed.

"So far, UN officials and the World Health Organization are looking into the cause of these changes as well as treatment options for the victims of this global catastrophe. Here is what Dr. Arthur Palmgate of Palmaris Medical Research has to say regarding the situation here in the US..."

Brenner, Kelly, and the entire Northfield Police Department watched the television set, their eyes glued to the faces of a female news anchor on the screen. Behind the anchor, laying face down on a slab of concrete, a still form resembling a boulder rested. Without warning, the boulder moved, revealing it to be a rotund figure. Rocks jetted out of his rounded back. He peered around the world with listless, beady black eyes on a wide, round face.

Images flashed on the television screen of other, more fantastic creatures; graceful, mermaid-like fish beings covered head to toe in blue scales, suspended in pools of water; humanoids with long, pointed ears wandering across city streets in catatonic stupors. The only normal looking creatures among them, the women with tanned skin, appeared as though they came from the desert. They, too, wandered around dazed, an eerie light flickering in the pupils of their eyes.

Before any of the police officers there could get a good look at any of the creatures, the images shift to a man in a black, thinly striped business suit. His black hair, slicked back to either side of his head, glimmered in the light around him. A burgundy tie hung off of his neck, tucking into the breast of his jacket. He gripped the podium with both hands.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we are doing everything we can to find the cause of this disaster. Palmaris Medical Research is working with the World Health Organization to find treatment options for the victims. Our dedication is to you and your loved ones, who have been affected by this catastrophe. Rest assured, we will bring your loved ones back to you, and make sure such a disaster like this never happens again. We will heal these people, these... _Aberrants_ , of their affliction, and restore their humanity. I will answer any questions you may have at this time..."

Palmgate's voice, smooth and suave, echoed through the speakers of the television. Brenner shook his head in utter dismay at the news report before his eyes.

 _Jesus fucking Christ... Is that why we're so short-staffed today?_ Brenner thought.

"We've been getting phone calls regarding these freaks all morning. Nobody knows what to do with them... Minneapolis is absolutely swamped with them right now...," an officer uttered, "This is like some kind of nightmare..."

Brenner looked at his partner as his colleagues returned to work, unable to stomach the new report any longer. In spite of the fear that pooled in his stomach, he focused on the main task of their morning- the disappearance of Alicia and Samson Blackwell.

"Any luck on the Blackwell case, Matt?"

Kelly sat down at his desk and invited his partner over. On his monitor, he typed keys on his keyboard. Information ran across the screen, until a picture of a man with brown hair and a grizzled face appeared before them.

"Samson Blackwell has no criminal record. So far, everyone we've spoken to has said that he and Alicia often argued over money. A next door neighbor went as far as saying that the couple had stopped having intimacy with one another. This lines up with what their daughter was telling us last night."

Brenner nodded.

"What about Alicia? Anything on her?" he asked.

"She doesn't have a criminal record, either, although neighbors mentioned that she was a spendthrift who loved to buy expensive clothes and furniture. Apparently, Mr. Blackwell had to cancel most of their credit cards because of her shopping trips."

"So, in other words... we still have no leads on where the couple could have gone."

"Pretty much. I got a hold of their daughter's aunt. She's agreed to bring Emily in to talk with us again."

 _Great... So now our case hinges on an eleven-year-old girl... Well, I suppose worse has happened at this point. I just hope we can find something soon before something bad happens to Mrs. Blackwell. Time is of the essence..._

* * *

 **9:40 AM**

Emily fidgeted in her chair. All around here, men and women in police uniforms moved throughout the station. Detectives sat at their desks, fumbling through case paperwork and making phone calls. Even beside her aunt, the thought of having to come to this place made nervousness rise. She looked up at her aunt.

 _Mom..._

The image of her mother in the arm of that shadowy giant tormented her thoughts. His glowing right eye, brimming with unspeakable malevolence, pierced the darkness of the night. Her father's face, filled with murderous rage, haunted her as she waited for the police to come and interview her. She shook her head, trying in vain to contain her sadness at having lost her parents.

Emily could do nothing to hold back her tears. Her father's right eye, the same as that of the shadowy giant that arose from the ruins of the hospital, flashed in her mind.

 _Dad...? Why is this happening?_

Sensing her niece's distress, Emily's aunt hugged her.

"They'll be here soon, Emily. Just wait a little bit longer."

"I know, Aunt Christie, I know..."

She wiped the tears off her face. From out of the back of the rows of desks, she watched two familiar figures in trenchcoats walk toward where she and her aunt sat.

"Thank you for coming in to speak with us, sorry to keep you waiting. Right this way, please," Brenner said to Emily.

"Can my aunt come, too? Please, I don't want to be alone..."

Emily's eyes watered. She gazed up at her aunt, her eyes filled with apprehension. Brenner and Kelly turned to glance at one another and nodded.

"Alright."

They motioned for Christie and Emily to follow them. Kelly and Brenner lead them toward a hallway full of interrogation rooms. Opening a door at the far end of the hallway, they held the door open and invited the little girl and her aunt inside. At one end of a table, just beneath a video camera, the two detectives took a seat, while Emily and her aunt sat on the opposite side across from them.

"I know this is... difficult to deal with, but we have some more questions we need ask you... regarding your mom and dad."

Emily looked up at them and nodded. Kelly adjusted the rim of his glasses as he pushed his seat closer to the table.

"Was there anything else going on at home?"

Emily's eyes glanced over at her aunt. She returned her gaze with a warm smile.

"Go on, hun. Answer the detective's question."

She looked into Kelly's brown eyes with a hesitant expression. Emily felt her guilt rise up within her heart. Fidgeting her chair, she struggled to come up with an answer to his question.

"No... They just... had their usual fighting..."

"Would this be about the money you were talking about last night?"

Emily turned away briefly, her eyes full of shame. The thought of having to discuss the problems going on in their household did not sit well with Emily.

 _Please, Dad... I just want us to be a family again..._

She mustered all of her courage to gaze back at the detective.

"Dad... wanted to separate from Mom. They were... fighting over money. I remember them... screaming and shouting at each other over a... 'foreclosure'."

"Can you tell us what happened from the time you came home from school to the incident at the hospital?"

Emily choked and nodded her head before collecting herself.

"A little bit after Dad brought me home from school, we sat down and had dinner. I was too uncomfortable to talk to them about anything while we ate spaghetti... that's how tense we all were. Dad sent me upstairs to finish my dinner. I... I was eavesdropping. I-I shouldn't have done it, but I couldn't help myself... I knew they were going to fight again. It's all they ever do anymore...

"A few minutes later, Dad yells at Mom to leave the house. As I'm listening upstairs, I see this flash of light. Out of the corner of my eye, I looked through the window at the top of the second floor. Outside, I see this big storm of light flashing in the sky.

"I was so scared... I screamed for my Dad. He ran upstairs to protect me. There was a giant flash, and my Dad is engulfed by this light. When... when the light faded... Dad fell down the stairs. That's when Mom panicked and called 911.

"Dad was rushed to the hospital. I rode with Mom as we followed it there. There, we waited in the lobby. Mom couldn't stop crying... I've never seen my mother so sad before.

"All of a sudden, we heard screams- screams, gunfire, and evil laughter..."

Kelly blinked his eyes, doing a double-take at the girl's harrowing story.

"And what happened after that?" Kelly pressed.

"Everyone ran out of the building screaming. I wanted to leave, but Mom wouldn't have any of it. The guard from last night comes and tries to get us to leave. While she's arguing with him, the ceiling caves in. I see Dad's face, scrunched up in anger. His right eye glowed, like some monster had taken over him.

"He turned his right arm into a shadowy claw, and tried to come at us, tried to attack Mom... but something stops him. For a brief moment, the evil glow in his eye disappears. He begs Mom to run away. I watched darkness swallow Dad as he and another voice howled with laughter. That's when the guard grabbed me and took me away from the hospital.

"The guard stops in the parking lot to catch his breath. We turn around and watch the hospital explode. I screamed at the top of my lungs for Mom and Dad. Then, he rises from the wreckage..."

As Emily continued, Brenner jotted down notes while Kelly listened attentively. In the back of Kelly's mind, an idea, a theory formed- a theory he prayed had no basis in reality at all. He recalled the new report, of the creatures the head of Palmaris Medical Research described in his press conference.

"He was terrifying to look at. He had this long, fiery red hair that came all the way down his back, and this gleaming yellow gem on his forehead. He had these small, pointed ears, his skin was dark, and he had these shadows around his eyes. The armor he was wearing was completely black, with these yellow gems embedded on them, and these bits of cloth with red and blue lines around his chest, arms, and shins. His arms were covered in these jagged golden metal gloves-I forget what they're called-and he had Mom's body slung over one of his gloves...

"Then he just... disappeared into the darkness while the hospital burned down..."

Underneath Kelly's emotionless mask, his thoughts ran in a hundred different directions, postulating theories and hypothoses. As Emily finished her story, Kelly's whirled in revelation and insight at her words. He recalled the news broadcast nearly an hour ago.

 _"All around the world, reports are pouring in over men, women, and children mutating into alien forms after being touched by the light from a storm that swept across the globe last night..."_

 _"We will heal these people, these..._ _ **Aberrants**_ _, of their affliction, and restore their humanity..."_

 _I feel like we're onto something here. Could we be dealing with one of these... 'Aberrants'? We don't know much about what that condition entails. It could be a long shot, but this could also very well be the piece of the puzzle that busts this case wide open. For this little girl and her parents, I'm willing to take that risk..._

"Emily... You're telling me that your father was touched by the light from last night's storm?" Kelly asked, his voice firm and full of conviction, "Are you certain of this?"

Emily let out a sigh and sank in her chair.

"You don't believe me at all, do you?"

Kelly did not bother to respond to the girl's question, instead giving her a stoic glance.

"I'm not saying that. I just want the truth of what happened last night. I will do everything in my power to find your parents. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to consult with my partner. Please hang tight for a few minutes."

The detectives excused themselves from the room and closed the door. They stood in the hall, watching the little girl and her aunt from the other side of a one-way mirror. Brenner gazed into his partner's eyes.

"What do you make of her story?" He asked.

Kelly adjusted the rim of his glasses, and then held his chin in thought.

"I think as it currently stands, we're in over our heads. None of the other witnesses saw Samson Blackwell or her mother at the time of this attack. As far-fetched as her story is... I think she's telling the truth, Kyle. Her story does line up with what the guard said."

"How do we know that the guard didn't just feed her this information?"

"The guard was pretty shaken up, too. I don't think anybody fed anyone anything. However... I think we need to make a trip up north."

Brenner nodded his head.

"You think so, too?"

"I think we may very well be dealing with one of those 'freaks' shown on national television. It's still a theory, but my gut says we need to pursue this lead. It's not like we have anything else, Kyle."

Brenner turned his head to look through the mirror at the pair inside.

"Alright."

Brenner opened the door and walked inside the interrogation room.

"Thank you for waiting. At this time, we don't have any other questions, so the two of you are free to go."

Christie grabbed onto Emily's hand and helped her up out of her chair. The two of them made their way out of the police station in silence. As the aunt and niece disappeared into the morning winter sun, Brenner and Kelly exited the station through another door. The two of them got into their car and drove down the streets of Northfield and onto freeway toward Minneapolis.

* * *

 **1:00PM, Minneapolis, Abbott Northwestern Hospital**

Kelly and Brenner stepped through the sliding glass doors of the hospital lobby. All around them, maddened cries in alien tongues filled the air. Doctors, nurses, and residents alike raced through the halls, carrying various odd items in their hands. Some carried around boxes of inflatable pools and garden hoses, while others ran around with rocks of varying sizes, bricks, and small blocks of concrete. The detectives could not help but raise an eyebrow at the insanity before their eyes.

Without saying a word, the two of them walked up to the reception desk. The woman at the desk adjusted her hat and nodded at the pair.

"Hi, can I help you?" She asked, not batting an eye at the dizzying scenario around her.

"Uh, excuse us, ma'am, but... what is going on here?" Brenner replied.

He waived his hand at the staff carrying odd objects around them. The receptionist poked her head up, and with an 'ah' of understanding, nodded at the detectives.

"Oh, those are for the... Aberrants. The doctors have found that the fish-like Aberrants dry out when left out of water for too long. The rock-like ones have trouble taking down normal food. We had an incident that involved one that got so hungry they started eating the walls. Since they seem to have a predilection for the earthy, they felt it was best to get them some rocks to snack on..."

The receptionist scratched the back of her head, her face red and full of embarrassment. Kelly quizzically tiled his head at her.

"You're kidding... right?"

As the three of them conversed with one another, a long, drawn-out howl fills the air, followed by the voice of an exasperated doctor.

 **"Goro!"**

"Sir? Sir, I need you to calm down... Sir, please don't eat the walls... **Sir!** "

Brenner and Kelly turned around and watched as a powerful, muscular arm punched through a concrete wall without effort. A rounded face with beady black eyes peered through the hole it made, its eyes gleaming with an otherworldly light. It broke through the wall, and with large, wideset teeth, began to chomp down on the rest of the wall.

"Somebody call security! He's at it again!"

Like a starving animal, it devoured the concrete with a loud crunch. Brenner and Kelly looked on at the scene with widened eyes. A pained expression scrunched on the creature's face as tears began to fall down its cheek. It shoved piece after piece of concrete into its mouth, drowning out the saddened wails that escaped its lips.

 _My God... What the hell_ _ **are**_ _these things?_ Kelly thought to himself.

In spite of the hesitance he felt toward the creature in front of him, he studied its appearance. Rocks portruded out of a hunched back. Strong, muscular arms covered in a thick hide carried inhuman strength within them. Its fingers, while thick, did not end in claws of any kind, unlike the being they believed responsible for the destruction of Northfield Hospital.

Kelly turned to face the receptionist, who gave him a sad smile at the scene. In the face of the madness unfolding around them, Kelly adjusted the rim of his glasses and focused on the woman before him.

"...We're from the Northfield Police Department. I'm Detective Matthew Kelly, and this is my partner, Detective Kyle Brenner. We'd like to ask you some questions about these Aberrants..."

The receptionist nodded her head.

"If it's about the Aberrants, I'm afraid that I haven't really had much contact with them. To be honest, I wasn't originally scheduled to be in today, but since the girl who's normally here got turned into a raving, pointy-eared lunatic, we've been a little short staffed. As you can no doubt see, not a single one of us knows what to do about them, or how to help them."

Brenner glanced at the creature, and then back at the receptionist. He found himself in complete and utter disbelief at the presence of the fantastic being before him. The sight both amazed him and chilled him to his very core.

 _It's like something out of some... fantasy world..._

"Do you know who we could talk to who might know a little bit more?" Brenner asked.

"Dr. Reynolds has been doing his best to oversee their care. He's had more contact with them than anybody else besides security. I think he's currently with someone in the ER right now. Would you like me to page him?"

"Yes, please."

The detectives stood patiently in the lobby. They did their best to ignore the maddened howls and wails that screeched through the entire building. Brenner sat down in a chair and pulled out a newspaper on the table in front of them. He glanced at the headlines on the front page-

 **MAN-EATING PLANTS FOUND IN FLORIDA, 7 INJURED**

 **SHINING LIGHTS APPEAR IN LOUISIANA BAYOU**

 **ARIZONA DESERT CREATURE ATTACKS COUPLE**

 _As if this day couldn't get any crazier..._

From out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a figure in a white labcoat. He gazed down at them through the rounded lenses of his glasses. The man offered his right hand to them.

"You must be Detectives Brenner and Kelly. I'm Dr. Reynolds. I apologize for the chaos... We're absolutely swamped right now with all of the Aberrants being admitted for treatment."

"No worries. Thank you for seeing us on short notice. I know you've got a full plate right now, so we'll make this brief. What can you tell us regarding these Aberrants?" Brenner asked.

The doctor frowned in thought, his fingers grazing his small, gray goatee.

"Not a lot, I'm afraid. What I do know is that some of the Aberrants still possess human physiques, while others, such as that fellow over there... don't..."

He pointed toward the rock-like figure from before, who now curled up into a ball, crying.

"We have no idea what has caused their genetics to deviate in the manner that they have. Some of my lab technicians are gathering samples of their DNA so that we might better understand the cause of their mutation and how it may be corrected. Most of the ones brought in here are lost in catatonia, barely acknowledging anything said to them while rambling incoherently to no one. It's like they're lost deep inside themselves, unable to awaken."

Kelly curled his lips.

"We're here to investigate the disappearance of a couple from the Northfield Hospital Incident. We have reason to believe that one of these... Aberrants may be involved. This is going to sound a little farfetched, Dr. Reynolds, but bear with me here-"

"After the madness I've witnessed here today, Detective, nothing you have to say can possibly surprise me."

Kelly took in a deep breath.

"Have you encountered an... Aberrant that wasn't catatonic? Is it possible for them to display any sort of reasoning and higher intelligence?"

Dr. Reynolds paused at the detective's question. He turned around and stepped away from them, as if pondering something. Moments later, he glanced over his shoulder to look at them.

"I have seen a few that have displayed higher intelligence. Those are the ones we've had the most problems with treating, as while they possess their intellect, they also have a peculiar problem of their own..."

"And what would that problem be?" Brenner offered.

Dr. Reynolds whirled around and looked the two of them straight into their eyes.

"They're... mentally unstable. Our psychologists and counselors have, thus far, been unable to determine the exact nature of their psychosis, but... well, let me put it this way: they're like Jekyll and Hyde, swaying between two entirely different patterns of behavior."

Brenner hummed in thought.

"So kind of like bipolar disorder?"

Dr. Reynolds shook his head.

"No. I would argue it's closer to an identity disturbance of some kind than a mood disorder. Some of the ones I've spoken to at a good time have reported blackouts of variable length, followed by amnesia. This all being said, gentlemen, we haven't yet determined their exact diagnosis, physical or otherwise, but we're looking into the matter as we speak."

Kelly stepped toward Dr. Reynolds.

"Have you encountered any... Aberrants... that have displayed... unusual abilities?"

Without another word, Dr. Reynolds turned toward the hall and motioned for the detectives to follow. What greeted the eyes of the detectives chilled them to their very core. Like something out of an insane asylum, crazed beings howled and screamed at the top of their lungs. In some exam rooms, at the bottom of the floor, rested inflatable pools filled with water. Aquatic, humanoid beings rested in the shallow water, their glistening black eyes flickering with an eerie light.

More rock-like creatures followed in other rooms, clutching their heads in pain. Others appeared similar to human beings, save for one difference- long, pointed ears. In front of one such room, behind a window of glass, the still form of a pointed-eared woman laid on an exam table, her shallow breathing the only sign of life the detectives could see. She opened her eyes and bolted forward.

"Mrs. Dawson?" Dr. Reynolds asked the woman, "Mrs. Dawson, are you there?"

She blinked and looked back at them, her disheveled brown hair falling over her face. Two different eye colors greeted them- her left, a soft brown, and her right, a deep, azure hue.

"Doctor..."

Before the woman could say anything else, she went limp for a moment as her eyes rolled into the back of her head. When her eyes snapped back open, the pupil of her blue eye glimmered with otherwordly energy. She reached out to them as volts of energy danced through her finger tips. Without warning, the woman screamed at the top of her lungs. Lightning shot out from her fingertips at the nearby sink. The counter of the sink caught fire.

Brenner and Kelly watched the woman writhe and squirm on the exam table. As soon as the episode began, it faded. She laid stiff on the table, facing the ceiling. Her eyes, opened wide, stared at the ceiling.

As the woman began to mutter and cry out incomprehensible words, Dr. Reynolds reaches for the nearby fire extinguisher. He opens the door to the exam room and fires the extinguisher at the growing countertop flame, putting it out without a word. Dr. Reynolds stepped out of the exam room and sighed.

"If you will excuse me, gentlemen, I must be getting back to my patients. Good luck with your investigation, both of you. I trust you will have no problems seeing yourselves out?"

"None at all. Thank you for your time, Doctor. We'll be in touch," Brenner finished.

The detectives walked through the halls, ignoring the crazed hysteria around them. Cold, winter air greets them as they step out into the coming night. Brenner turned toward his partner.

"Alright, I think we've had enough of crazy town for one day. Let's head back."

Kelly nodded in agreement. They stepped into their car and began the hour long drive back to Northfield.

* * *

 **11:00PM, Minneapolis, IDS Tower**

A cloud of darkness appeared over the skyscraper. Moments later, the clang of metal against concrete filled the air. The figure of Ganondorf stepped out of the shadows. In his arms, Alicia squirmed in his right arm, her voice muffled by the gagging cloth in her mouth. Ropes bound her wrists and ankles. Her hair dangled around her as he dropped her on the ground.

Ganondorf raised his right gauntlet in front of his face, studying it. Rage boiled within him. He stared at a hand that resembled his own, a mockery of his true form created by the light that had twisted him. The taint of another ran through him, cousing through his body and flowing in his veins.

His eye glanced down at a shard of broken glass, and at the his gray left eye, an eye that belonged to another. He picked up the shard of glass, his arm quivering in anger. Moments later, he crushed the shard in his hand, letting the pieces fall to the concrete floor.

 _I will purge myself of this weakness... rid myself of this wretched filth!_

This city, this ginomous urban sprawl that eclipsed the Castle Town of Hyrule, maddened him. There were too many people, too many bodies to go through. Like finding a needle in a haystack, the prospect of finding the Bearers of Courage and Wisdom seemed daunting and impossible. Even worse still, he had not found any trace of the princess or her champion in this city.

He turned toward Alicia, who squirmed and wiggled away from him on the ground. The very sight of her sent him into a mad rage. Her eyes widened as he bounded toward her, gauntlets brimming with dark power. Before he can lay a hand on her, something stops him in his tracks. He found himself paralyzed, unable to continue his assault on her. A force from within the back of Ganondorf's mind writhed and howled.

 _The filth within me desires to protect this woman? How amusing._

Alicia squeezed her eyes shut and whimpered, expecting her demise to come. To her surprise, it never came. She opened her eyes and watched Ganondorf lower his arm, his darkened face boring into her own. As she looked up into his eyes, a booming baritone voice echoed in her mind and slithered into her thoughts.

 _«Woman, can you hear my voice?»_

Alicia blinked, not knowing how to respond at all to the turn of events unfolding before her. Ganondorf smiled at her, amused by her confusion.

 _«How are you doing this? How is this possible? I-»_

 _«Don't bother, woman. I don't understand your language, nor do you understand mine. Now, answer my questions, and no harm will come to you. Understand?»_

Frightened by the gleam in his right eye, Alicia returned a frantic nod.

 _«Good. Now... where am I?»_

The question seemed strange to her- after all, everyone had even the most rudimentary knowledge of the world. Alicia looked around at the skyline. Unsure of his specificity, she offered any bit of information she could think of.

 _«Minneapolis... This is Minneapolis, Minnesota, a state within the United States of America... The most powerful nation in the world...»_

 _«And what world would that be...?»_

She looked directly into Ganondorf's eyes, confused by the words he projected into her mind.

 _«Earth... The world of Earth... Terra firma...»_

Ganondorf raised his eyebrow, intrigued by this new information. Alicia could see the gears of thought turning within him as Ganondorf stroked his beard. He turned around to look at the glow of the city lights around them. A low, reverberating chuckle escaped his lips, furthering fueling the terror she felt just being in his presence.

 _These people of the Earth, these... Terrans... Perhaps they could be of use to me after all..._

He turned around to face her, an elated sneer on his lips. As he looked down at her torn, disheveled dress, he traced the curves of her body.

 _«I see. Now I am beginning to understand all this... For that, I thank you..._ _ **Terran**_ _.»_

Alicia watched his towering form slowly approach her. She squirmed and slinked along the concrete rooftop, trying to get away from him. She let out a muffled scream as he grabbed her by her arm, and hoisted her up into the air. His right eye, gleaming with unholy power, burned into her own. As she came face to face with Ganondorf, she noticed his left eye, an eye she recognized all too well.

 _Sam...?_

 _«Sam? ...Sam, is that you?»_

Ignoring her calls to her husband, Ganondorf narrowed his eyes at her. Deep within him, he felt something unfamiliar stir at the core of his being. It beckoned and pleaded to him in another language. He clasped his free hand as he smothered the slithering will buried inside him, and then returned his focus to Alicia once more.

 _«You will teach me the Terran language, and the ways of your people. Disappoint me in any way, and you will perish...»_

Alicia pleaded with the man before her, her thoughts growing more and more desperate with every passing moment.

 _«Sam, please! Please wake up! Don't do this! I'm sorry about all the things I've done... I'll make it up to you...»_

 _«I_ _ **am not**_ _Sam. I_ _ **am**_ _Ganondorf...»_

Tears ran down Alicia's face, the terrible realization dawning on her: her husband had vanished, his will stolen by the light, and in his place, a vile being now roamed free. She squeezed her eyes shut as he carried her toward the edge of the tower. Darkness gathered around them, and the two of them disappeared. The finality of his words echoed in the black abyss that swallowed her whole:

 _«Now, let us begin, my puppet...»_


	6. Between Two Wills

**Soulbound**

Chapter II - Zelda: Between Two Wills

 **California, United States - Marin General Hospital**  
 **March 1, 2016 CE (3 Eldin, 1437 HCE Hyrulean Reckoning)**  
 **9:00AM, Pacific Standard Time**

Voices ebbed in and out of focus as Charles came to. Bright flourescent lights blinded his vision. He tried to pull his arm in front of him to block out the light, only to feel cold metal restraining him. Charles' eyes widened as stabbing pain shot down his hip and right leg.

 _"I've never seen anything like it..."_

 _"That glow in his right eye... He's just like all the others..."_

 _"What in God's name is happening?"_

 _"Shhh! Keep your voice down, or he'll hear you!"_

He looked toward the white, sterile walls of a hospital wing. Charles felt his heart race as confusion overwhelmed his thoughts. He remembered the car ride with Roland, the dinner with his family, the jaunt on horseback outside their ranch, the storm of light flashing in the heavens...

 _No..._

In his memory, he found a void, an abyss where a memory should have existed. After being blinded by the light, he remembered nothing- nothing at all, except the sensation of being torn apart. He felt as though he had jumped from one point in time to another. He did not know what had happened, or how he ended up here.

As he moved around on the exam table, Charles drew his attention inward. Something had changed within him, fundamental to his very core. His breath, the very skin on his body... everything felt different. The sound of people talking drew him out of his reverie.

"What do you make of this one?"

"No idea. We've gotten so many of these... Aberrants this morning. We've had to turn people away because of how over-capacity we are."

"Yeah, you're telling me. What a mess..."

Their voices rang in Charles' eardrums, louder and more acute than anything he was used to.

"You know, when my kid stopped by and saw what was going on, he seemed convinced that he was not only a woman, but some sort of princess. Kept on asking me, 'Why are you taking Princess Zelda away?'"

"I think you should've waited before introducing your kid to _The Legend of Zelda_ , Mike. I think he's letting those games get to his head..."

Charles squeezed his eyes, assaulted by the noise on his ears. Everything, from the movement of his body along the upholstery to the clang of the metal cuffs that secured him to the exam table, hurt his ears. Like a volume knob turned all the way up, the world around him echoed and resounded in an unfamiliar, raucous cacophony. He wanted nothing more than to drown out the noise.

 _What is this...?_

Confused, disoriented, and terrified of his confines, Charles cried out in horror. Within seconds, two orderlies rushed into the room. Charles winced at the noise before opening his eyes to look at the strangers in front of him.

"Where am I...?" Charles asked, "What is going on here? I-"

Charles froze, unable to say anything more. The voice that spoke his words belonged to a woman, far removed from the masculine voice he had known all his life. He gazed back at them with a terrified expression, uncertain and unaware of what had happened to him. The orderlies gaze back at him with a confused stare of their own.

"He's awake."

"Hey, look at his eye. The light's gone."

Charles blinked back at them, not understanding anything they said. The orderlies turned toward each other, and then back at Charles, who struggled against the restraints trying him to the exam table.

"Get a hold of Dr. Newell. Let him know that his patient is awake..."

One of the orderlies disappeared from the room. Charles watched as he vanished down the hall and out of view. He turned his attention back toward the figure that remained.

"Look, just hang tight for a few minutes. The doctor will be in here to explain everything to you. It's going to be okay. You're in good hands, now..."

Charles had so many questions he wanted answered, yet he found himself too afraid to ask them, too afraid to hear the regal, feminine voice that had replaced his own. He turned away from the man and closed his eyes, realizing the futility of struggling against the cuffs. Minutes felt like an eternity.

As he began to lose hope of ever understanding the events transpiring around him, the door opened. Charles winced at the sound, like nails on a chalkboard. He turned over and watched as a man in a familiar white coat stepped into the room. A set of keys on a keyring dangled from his fingers. In his other hand rested a clipboard and a hand mirror. The doctor gazed into Charles' eyes with concern.

"Can you understand me, sir?" The doctor asked.

Charles nodded, bewildered by his question.

"Yes..."

Charles could barely raise his voice beyond a whisper. He hoped the doctor could hear him, in spite of the change that had taken hold of him. The doctor stepped toward Charles.

"I am Dr. Thomas Newell. I have been overseeing your care ever since you were admitted here. A couple by the name of Amelia and Michael Alberson brought you in after they found you unconscious on their ranch at around 8PM last night..."

He raised an eyebrow at the doctor, confused by his words.

"I apologize for the restraints. You see, when one of my physicians tried to examine you last night, you began screaming, shouting, and thrashing violently. My co-workers tried to sedate you, but you fought back. I wasn't sure if you spoke English or not, as at the time, none of us could understand a word you uttered that night. I hate to use this term, but you behaved as though you were... possessed. For the safety of yourself and everyone here, we had to restrain you."

Charles felt his heart start to race. His breathing became short and shallow. He shook his head in disbelief at what the doctor uttered. Afraid, he searched his memory, hoping that something, anything, could confirm the man's words. A black void, extending from the moment the light touched him until now, greeted his thoughts.

 _I can't have done this. I don't believe any of this at all... What sort of nightmare_ _ **is**_ _this?!_

"Please... I don't remember anything... I don't remember doing any of the things you've said...!"

Dr. Newell returned the frightened man a sad gaze.

"May I have your name, please?"

"Charles... Charles Victoria..."

Dr. Newell stepped forward. He took in a deep breath, as if preparing himself for the worst. He placed his clipboard down on a nearby countertop and carried the hand mirror toward Charles, its polished surface facing away from him.

"Charles... what I am about to show you may frighten and upset you. I know you must be feeling both of those things already, but the truth is... You are not what you once were..."

On seeing his patient's confused, mortified stare, the doctor paused, trying to find the right words to explain the situation. He turned the mirror around. When Charles' eyes saw his reflection on the mirror's surface, his heart skipped a beat.

The face he stared at bore little resemblance to his own; instead, an effeminate face, more befitting a woman than a man, greeted his eyes. Long, golden blond hair framed the sides of his face, twisted into small braids. In place of the small ears he had known all his life, he found pointed ears, which tapered outward from his head. An ornate golden tiara, decorated with a single brilliant sapphire, rested on his forehead, obscuring his hairline. Two eyes gazed back at him through his reflection- a familiar brown left eye, and a blue right eye.

Charles did not want to believe what he saw in the mirror. The reflection in the mirror belonged to someone else. As he closed his eyes and laid his head back on the exam table, he felt the skin of his ears brush against the upholstery and the cold metal frame- something his ears never did before until now. He closed his eyes and blocked out the world.

"You have become an Aberrant," The doctor continued, "It means that your physiology has... deviated from the natural course. We do not know the cause of your condition, or if there is even a way to reverse it. Whatever that light did to you and the others, it has altered every aspect of what you once were."

The moment those words left the doctor's mouth, Charles felt a piece of himself die. His mind whirled in confusion and terror. None of his years of study in medical school prepared him for something like this. Now, more than ever, he felt isolated and alone, bearing the brunt of an affliction neither he nor anyone else saw coming.

His thoughts turned to his friend Roland. Had he, too, been touched by this light, twisted and changed into something grotesque? Did he survive the event unscathed, as this doctor had? If so, would his friend even recognize him in his condition?

Charles opened his eyes and looked into Dr. Newell's sad gaze.

"I'm sorry... I know you're trying to help, but this is all so... Unreal..."

"I know how you must feel. This has all been quite a... calamitous turn of events... for all of us. Can I get you anything?"

Sensing the sincerity in the Dr. Newell's voice, he tugged at the cuffs that secured him to the exam table. His eyes glanced away from the doctor, unable to stomach looking at him or the mirror in his hand any longer. He closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath.

"Please... remove these cuffs. They're hurting my wrists... Please, I can't take this anymore..."

The sound of a door opening once more rattled Charles' eardrums. Footsteps came afterward, followed by the jingling of keys on a keyring. With every footstep that pounded against the floor, Charles winced in response, the heightened noise overwhelming. He opened his eyes and watched as two orderlies began to undo the cuffs that secured him to the table. When the fourth clang of metal rang through the air, Charles gingerly sat up.

His entire right side ached like nothing he had ever experienced before. Like a thousand knives stabbing his torso, hip, and leg, the pain pierced him and nearly sent him tumbling onto the floor. As he sat up and turned his attention to his altered form, Dr. Newell approached him.

"I can see that you are in a better state of mind, so for now, I shall grant your request. That being said, we will be monitoring you and your behavior over the next several days. If I feel anyone is being endangered by you, rest assured, we will have to put those back on. Please do not make me have to do that again."

Charles nodded his head, his mind wandering off into different directions. Discomfort at his condition manifested in his mind. Embarrassment soon followed, and as moments passed, Charles found his tolerance for the stares around him lessening. Unable to put his awkwardness aside any longer, he lifted his head up and gave a perturbed stare at the men around him.

"Could... Could I have a little privacy, please?" Charles whispered.

Without another word, Dr. Newell excused himself from the room. The orderlies closed the door behind them. From outside of the nearby window, he watched them stand guard outside the door. He let out a sigh and hobbled toward the window. Closing the blinds, he shifted his gaze to the white opera gloves that covered his arms.

As he further examped his body, he breathed a small sigh of relief. Although his body had become more slender and feminine, he still remained a man. The thought comforted him little as his fingers traced the golden plates on his shoulders.

 _I... I don't know what to make of this at all... What did that light do to me? Why in God's name do I look and sound like Princess Zelda...? Just what the hell is going on here?_

* * *

 **11:00PM**

 _Zelda floated in the dark void. She could not see anything. She could not hear anything. Her body refused to move and obey her, even as she cried out within the prison of her mind. Deprived of her senses, she rebelled, fighting the embrace of the light that sought to smother her thoughts completely._

 _As she honed her thoughts, she willed her mind's eye to open. Like gravity, the light within her pulled at her consciousness, trying to draw her back into unnatural slumber. Zelda steeled herself and focused her mind. Her mind's eye traced the abyss. At the edge of the void, a wall of light sectioned her off, the very light that had ensnared her and her world._

I sense something beyond this wall...

 _She traced the thread of light from herself to something beyond the wall of light. Zelda squinted as she tried to peer beyond the wall of light. A silhouette took shape- a form resembling a man with rounded ears. In the depths of her being, she felt another mind, another lifeforce tethered to the light. She focused her mind, tracing the tether of light that lead from her to this man._

Who... are you?

 _The pull of the light grew stronger. Zelda felt her will begin to falter as the light drew her back into oblivion. She fell into darkness, her consciousness smothered by the light. Memories drifted in and out of her awareness..._

* * *

 **Hyrule, Lanayru Province - Hyrule Castle Library**  
 **57 Faron, 1436 HCE**  
 **1:30PM**

 _Warm sunlight shone through the latticed window. Beyond the stone walls of the library, Zelda heard the chirping of birds and the peaceful sounds of nature. She sat at an old, worn table, thumbing her fingers through an ancient tome. Dispersed admist ancient Hylian characters, scattered illustrations shone on the pages. As she neared the end of the book, one such illustration caught her eye._

 _Zelda turned the pages back and stopped at a picture of a serpent surrounded by a halo of light. Her fingers traced the characters on the page. She flipped to the next page, where pictures of the serpent coiled around different worlds greeted her eyes, followed by images of human beings falling to their knees, their bodies aflame._

 _On the next page, a scene all too familiar to her historians unfolded on the ancient parchment in her hands. A green-clad figure, bearing the Master Sword in his left hand, charged at the visage of a giant boar demon. Behind the demon stood a princess, imprisoned by his dark power. Above the three of them rested the Triforce, the power of the gods._

 _"Ah, there you are. I was wondering where you disappeared off to."_

 _Zelda turned around and saw the shadowy outline of a familiar Sheikah woman. A grave, worried expression formed on her face as she motioned for the woman to come closer._

 _"Impa, come look at this..."_

 _Impa walked over and placed her left hand down on the table, while scanning imagery on the pages with her left. She brushed the silver hair out of her red eyes as she studied what Zelda had found. Zelda looked up at her, chilled by the omen presented on the pages._

 _"What do you think this means?"_

 _Impa turned around and stepped away from the table. For a brief moment, her eyes scanned the latticed windows and the unparalleled beauty of the land beyond. She turned her head over her left shoulder to look at Zelda._

 _"It speaks of the Convergence, the sundering of worlds..."_

 _"Convergence...?"_

 _Impa whirled herself around and gazed at the tome._

 _"It is said that in the end of days, a force of light shall appear from beyond our world. It will tie the essence of our world, and everything in it, to that of another. The worlds will combine... and be destroyed in that merger, like mixing oil and water..."_

 _Despite being chilled by Impa's revelation, Zelda turned her attention to the illustration of the Triforce, and the three figures beneath it. Fallen bodies laid around the figures, as though they had become casualties of an unseen war. She remembered the legends passed down through her family, and the eternal cycle of bloodshed that followed the pursuit of the divine relic._

 _"As for this," Impa continued, "I not know what this means, or what this may have to do with the Convergence. It is strange to see a depiction of the Great Cataclysm right after the Convergence..."_

 _"Do you think it may have something to do with the dark visions that have haunted me these past nights?"_

 _"If the Great Cataclysm is to begin again, then there is only one thing to do, Your Highness. We must prepare for the dark times that are sure to fall on our kingdom..."_

* * *

 **California, United States - Marin General Hospital**  
 **March 2, 2016 CE (4 Eldin, 1437 HCE Hyrulean Reckoning)**  
 **4:30AM, Pacific Standard Time**

Charles rubbed his eyes. He did not know why he had awoken at this ungodly hour. His head felt strange, as though a thousand ants had been crawling inside his skull the entire night. With a sigh, he brushed aside the thin sheets of the hospital bed, and touched his bare feet to the cold linoleum floor.

His eyes glanced down at the light blue hospital gown that covered his body. Charles felt a sense of relief at this welcome change in attire. He turned around and gazed at the ornate dress and tiara sitting at the edge of his bed.

 _I don't know how I'm going to explain this to my father... I don't even have a good explanation for any of this myself..._

Charles hobbled toward the curtains and pulled them open, taking in the darkness of the morning beyond. He did his best not to gaze into his reflection on the window in the dim light of his hospital room. Through the window, he watched the lights on the buildings in Mill Valley begin to flicker on, one after another.

The roar of a diesel engine rang in his ears. Charles shook his head, not accustomed to his heightened sense of hearing. Below, a delivery truck pulled into the road leading toward the building. He clasped his hands over his ears to lessen the barrage of noise. Discomfort ran through him as he felt the shape of his ears.

 _How am I going to live like this? I can't turn this off..._

A sudden noise startled Charles. He turned toward the right wall, across from his hospital bed. The sound of a girl's muffled laughter resounded from the other side. Charles shook his head and stepped closer.

"Oh my God, can you believe this? I know, I know! I didn't believe it myself. Like, nobody wants to say anything for certain, but come on, those are totally Gorons and Zoras downstairs! When I get out of here, I'm so going to blog about this!"

Charles frowned in dismay, not believing the scene unfolding in the room on the other side of his.

"You know, there was even this one person who looked like Zelda here. Naw, man, I don't even want to think about that... I'm just happy they got the wifi working here again. It's been dead ever since that storm happened... Okay, okay, I don't want to make the people next door upset, so I have to end the call now. Let's Skype again sometime, alright? Bye!"

 _As if my life could not get any worse..._

Unwilling to eavesdrop any further, Charles made his way back to his bed, and did his best to ignore the sounds coming from the rest of the hospital as a new day began.

* * *

 **2:00PM**

"Scientists are baffled by the appearance of carnivorous plants in the Florida Everglades. Seven people from four families have been killed while picnicking at the Everglades National Park. As a precaution, the park has been closed and law enforcement has sealed off the area until the investigation into both the plants and how they will affect the fragile ecosystem of the Everglades has been concluded. We'll have more details on this story as soon as possible. Back to you, John."

Charles watched the television screen, wide-eyed and horrified by the images on screen. He recognized the plants on the screen all to well, for he had seen them many times in Roland's various escapades in his favorite video game.

 _I wonder what Roland would think of what's happening now... This is absolute insanity. Deku Babas? In the Everglades?_

"Thank you, Reggie. In other news, the number of Aberrants being admitted to hospitals all across the globe is staggering. Hospitals are swelling from the massive influx of patients. As you can see, the situation is steadily growing out of control as more and more hospitals are turning people away due to the sheer volume.

"Although there has been no official word yet regarding the nature of the Aberrants, rumors are circulating on the internet that these creatures may be something out of _The Legend of Zelda._ At this time, no one has been able to get a hold of any Nintendo representatives for an official statement on this rumor. Senator Murray had this to say regarding the situation of the Aberrants..."

 _It's almost as bad as the election. I think at this point, I'd rather be watching that..._

Screams and maddened cries tore Charles away from his thoughts. He rushed his hands to his ears for a moment before lowering them. Without warning, a droning, ringing noise echoed in his ears. Charles clasped his head and laid back on his bed.

 _«Goddesses, help us!»_

 _«Princess... Please be safe...»_

 _«Hylia, I pray to you, watch over us in our hour of need...»_

 _«I can't... control my body!»_

 _«Get out of my head! Get out get out_ _ **get out!**_ _»_

 _What is this?_ Charles thought, _What's happening to me?!_

Overwhelmed by the alien thoughts assaulting his mind, Charles reeled. He fell onto the floor with a thud, his right side surging in agony. Gritting his teeth, he mustered his willpower and resisted the urge to cry out. He crawled along the ground beside his bed, and pulled himself up high enough to reach the red buzzer at the foot of the bed. Charles pressed the buzzer and fell back onto the ground, clutching his head in pain.

A whir of loud, painful voices ebbed in his ears. He squeezed his eyes shut to drown out both the heightened sounds around him, and the voices crying out in his mind. Charles felt himself being lifted off the ground and placed onto the surface of a gurney. The wheels squeaked as the gurney disappeared out of his room and down the hall.

Moments later, the gurney ground to a halt. Charles opened his eyes, and found himself on the bottom floor of the hospital. Standing in front of them, a group of Aberrants blocked their path. Some remained humanoid, save for the pointed ears Charles now possessed, while others bore blue, scaled skin and thick, rock-like hides. Their eyes glimmered with an eerie light.

Even as they barked in an alien language, their thoughts continued to invade Charles' mind.

 _«Where are you taking Her Highness?»_

 _«We will not allow you to harm Her Grace!»_

 _«Get your filthy hands off of her, you monsters!»_

A tingling sensation traveled down the fingers of Charles' right hand. It ran through his hand and arm. Charles tried to move his arm, panicked by the growing sensation. His arm refused to respond. A stiff numbness followed soon afterward. The world blurred and darkened around him. Charles plummeted into the abyss as all awareness faded into oblivion.

* * *

 _"What is going on?"_

 _"Why are they acting like that?"_

 _"Somebody call security, quick!"_

Alien words streamed through Zelda's ears as she came to. Her eyes snapped open and she bolted forward. Confused and disoriented, she looked around at her surroundings. Her face softened at the beings before her. A smile curled up on her lips.

"Princess! Princess, is that you?"

"Oh, thank the Gods, you're safe."

In spite of the eerie light that flickered in their eyes, she sensed that the subjects possessed the will of her people, and not the human minds from this strange new world. Relief washed over her; a small handful of her people survived the harrowing light of the Convergence. That relief soon became tempered by sadness.

 _Link..._

She did not sense her champion here, among these people. She knew nothing of his whereabouts, or if he even still lived. Before her people, she carried on a mask of calm and dignity.

"I am so glad to see that you are alive and well..."

 _Even if we are not in our bodies anymore,_ Zelda finished as her eyes glanced at her effeminate but masculine arms.

Not wanting to gaze at her twisted form any longer, Zelda turned her gaze to the doctors and nurses that surrounded her. They stared back at her with masks of fear and dread. She closed her eyes in thought.

 _I remember now... I was brought here, half-delirious after awakening in that field. That couple tried to help me, to save my life. The people here... they were trying to help me, to ease my pain. I struggled against them, not understanding what they were trying to do. After that, darkness consumed me. Now, I am standing here... what have I been doing this whole time?_

At the hinge of that thought, Zelda felt her guilt rise to the surface. She opened her eyes and looked into the frightened faces of the doctors around her.

 _Oh Gods, this has all been a complete misunderstanding..._

Doctors and nurses stared in horror at the patient in their care. Minutes before, he had been thrashing violently, clutching his head in pain. Now, he gazed around them as though possessed, his blue right eye flickering with the same light as the other Aberrants around them. A regal, feminine voice, called out to the other Aberrants, and like a sea of lost souls, gathered around him as though they found a beacon of guidance.

Their patient moved to slide off the gurney. Not knowing what else to do in the insanity unfolding around them, they hold their patient down. He struggled against their grip, fighting them with what strength he possessed. The very sight of them restraining their patient sparked the other Aberrants into fits of anger.

With frightening speed, the Aberrants rushed to his side, pushing and prying away the hands that dared touch their leader. As the rock-like Aberrants tossed them aside like ragdolls, they watched a mortified expression form on their patient's face. They grabbed their patient and pulled him toward them. Soon afterward, armed guards rushed onto the scene. They aimed their weapons at the Aberrants.

 ** _«Stop! Stop this at once!»_**

The cries of a woman's voice halted the fighting, echoing in their minds. Shudders passed down the spines of the staff as they looked around, searching for the source of the voice. Shocked gasps fill the hall as the Aberrants step aside, revealing the blue hospital gown of the figure the Aberrants sought to protect. He hobbled toward them, seething in pain.

 _«Please, forgive my people... They were only trying to protect me.»_

All around them, staff and human onlooker alike gazed at the figure with stunned expressions. On the back of the patient's hand, a series of triangles glimmered in the afternoon light, with the lower left shining a brilliant gold. His blue eye, possessed of the light, gazed back at them with a dignified mask of calm.

The hospital staff turned to one another, stunned by their patient's change in behavior.

"Is that the Triforce of Wisdom?"

"Who the hell is this guy?"

The guards turned around at the onlookers around them. Within seconds, they began motioning for everyone to leave.

"Alright, break it up, everyone! Move along, nothing to see here..."

As the crowd of people disappeared into and out of the building. The guards turned toward the patient. Behind them, the doctors approached, their minds filled with an ambivalent mixture of fear and curiosity.

 _«My name is Zelda. I carry no ill will toward you. Who is in charge around here?»_

The staff glanced at each other.

 _I don't believe this. This cannot be happening... What the hell has the world come to?_

* * *

 **10:00PM**

Zelda stood outside the window to her hospital room. The darkness of night fell on the city outside. Her room many floors above the ground. She did not know why the people insisted on separating her from her people. Even as she gazed out into the window, she saw the eerie glimmer in her right eye, and the twisted, masculine form she now inhabited.

 _I can only imagine how they must feel about us..._

Even as the nurse walked into the room to check up on her, she could sense her discomfort at being in her presence. Throughout her life, she encountered many who, having never been in the presence of royalty, displayed an acute discomfort at being around a political figure. Here, the discomfort of being around a monstrous, alien entity pervaded the nurse.

The entire situation made her melancholy. These people knew not what to make of them, and her people, in their twisted state, either scarely had any sentience left or became just as cautious and mistrustful as the people of this world toward them. She remembered their maddened cries, their psychic pain bleeding into her own. They became nothing more than shadows of the good people they once were.

 _Why, then, have I retained my sense of self? Why have I not fallen into the same malady the others have?_

She lifted her right hand and gazed at the mark of the Triforce of Wisdom.

 _Do the Goddesses watch over us still, even in this strange, new world?_

The thought comforted her little, even as her people suffered, imprisoned within their own minds by the Convergence.

 _There must be something I can do for them. Some way to ease their suffering, to heal their fractured minds..._

 _«Your Highness, how are you holding up?»_

The telepathic voice spoke within her mind, his voice laced with concern. She recognized the voice of the Hylian-like man that tried to help her hours ago.

 _«As well as I can, given our current circumstance, Captain Shiro...»_ Zelda paused for a brief moment before continuing. _«Tell me, what of the others?»_

 _«It's like the light has taken their wills completely, milady. Those of us who can still think have tried to call out to them, but so far, it has been for naught. They are lost within themselves, their minds torn by the light. It wasn't until you awakened before us that they showed any sign of possessing wills at all.»_

 _«I see... What of the people of this world? What can you tell me of them?»_

 _«None of us can understand their language, nor do they care to teach us. If they don't treat us like plague-ridden rats, they behave around us as though we are possessed demons out to steal their souls. It is... most appalling, Your Highness.»_

Zelda held her chin in thought. The gears of her mind turned as she began formulating a plan.

 _«You must take me to them.»_

 _«Your Highness, I will do my best, but you must understand one thing. They possess technology far beyond our own. They have eyes and ears all throughout this building. If we try to sneak away, they will find us, as they have found others that have tried to escape this place...»_

As Shiro finished his sentence, Zelda's eyes scanned the room. In the far corner of the room, attached to the ceiling, she spotted a strange device. A blinking green light shimmered in the darkness, the only sign of life the machine produced. Zelda narrowed her eyes and moved around the room, only to watch the device track her movements.

 _«Then let us make our excursion brief and hope these people do not notice our disappearance.»_

 _«By your will, milady.»_

Zelda's eyes stayed on the device above.

 _So this is what he meant by their "eyes"..._

She crept toward the door and silently pulled on the handle. Through the open crack of the door, she surveyed the hall outside her room. More devices lined the ceiling, swaying back and forth in the darkness. Further down the hall, a janitor in a dark uniform whistled into the night, dragging a mop and a bucket behind him.

A faint glimmer caught her eye. The shadowy figure of a man with pointed ears, his right eye gleaming, slinked toward her, sidling along the walls and out of sight. For a brief moment, the janitor perked his head up. Zelda dared not breathe. When the janitor resumed whistling and mopping down another section of the floor, she felt relief pour over her.

Moments later, the twisted form of Shiro approached her door.

"Stay close to me..."

The two of them slinked low to the ground, cautious and wary of anything and everything around them. Silently, the two of them crept down several flights of stairs. By the time they made it to the bottom floor of the hospital, Zelda's feet felt like ice.

Around the corner, Shiro spotted two armed guards near the lobby of the hospital. They patrolled the perimeter of the bottom floor in silence, the clicking of their boots on the linoleum piercing the quiet night. Shiro held his hand up, motioning Zelda not to follow. As he saw the guard approaching, the two of them hid behind the stairs and watched the guard pass them by.

Moments passed, and certain that the guard had moved on, the pair slinked down the hallways in near darkness. The glow of a last quarter moon hung in the night sky, interrupted by cloud cover. A frown formed on Zelda's face.

 _Even the night sky is different here... I miss Hyrule so much right now..._

The pair stopped in front of a door. Shiro turned toward Zelda.

"Highness," He whispered, "Beyond this door is the ward where they are keeping the others. You... might not like what you are about to see or hear."

On hearing Shiro's warning, Zelda braced herself for the worst. Shiro pulled the door handle and opened the door in silence. The two of them disappeared behind the door. Zelda's eyes widened at the scene on the other side of the door.

Behind locked exam rooms, on the other side of glass windows, Goron, Zora, and Hylian hybrids walked in a stupor, their eyes ablaze with the light. Drool foamed and ran down their mouths. Their eyes remained unfocused and listless. Quiet moans and muffled cries filled the hallway.

"Goro... Goro..."

"Zora... Zora!"

"Uuuughhh..."

Zelda's eyes widened at the sight before her. Her heart broke at the sight of her people, mere shadows of themselves, wandering around like mindless drones. Chills ran down her spine, and her stomach felt nauseated with upset at the Hyruleans' predicament.

Their painful thoughts assaulted her mind. From each of the beings in the hall, she felt not one, but two minds crying out in pain, their thoughts an ever-shifting, jumbled mess. Like a train wreck, one mind flowed into the other and back again, without any set order or pattern. She gritted her teeth, overwhelmed by the psychic bleedthrough she experienced in their presence.

Zelda closed her eyes, focusing on the painful thoughts around her. She held up her right hand. The Triforce of Wisdom emitted a soft glow in the moonlit hall. In her mind's eye, she saw two souls, two spirits entangled by a light. One belonged to her people, and the other a person from this world.

 _No..._

The Convergence had twisted her people in body, mind, and soul. Neither the Hyrulean will, nor the will that belonged to this world, had remained stable. Torn between two minds and two identities, these people could not function. Untold sorrow filled Zelda's mind as she focused.

 _Wake up... Please, wake up... All of you..._

Deep within each of the beings around her, she felt something stir. They lumbered toward the window, drawn to the Triforce's soft light. Zelda opened her eyes and saw a brief clarity return to her twisted people. Behind her, the door to the hall swung open. Shiro turned around, and with widened eyes, stared face to face with a pair of armed guards.

They shouted at them in another language as they cocked their weapons at them. Zelda lowered her arm and turned around, startled by the turn of events. She held her hands up in surrender.

 _«Wait! Wait, please! We were just trying to help them!»_

Startled by the regal voice speaking in their minds, they held onto the triggers of their guns. Zelda stepped forward.

 _«If you must be angry at someone, be angry at me. I asked this man to bring me here. They are my people, and I am all they have now...»_

The guard closest to her growled and stomped toward her. He grabbed and yanked her arm toward his partner, while his partner did the same to Shiro. Zelda closed her eyes as the guards drug her out of the hallway and back to her hospital room.


	7. On Stranger Tides

**Soulbound**

Chapter III - Link: On Stranger Tides

 **Caribbean Sea - Deserted Cay  
March 1, 2016 CE (3 Eldin, 1437 HCE Hyrulean Reckoning)  
8:00AM, Atlantic Standard Time**

Alex's eyes fluttered open. Seagulls screeched in her ear, while sea water lapped against her body and the surrounding white sands of the shoreline. A thick haze blanketed her mind. Her hands twitched with life as she pushed herself off the wet sand.

 _Oh God, my head..._

She had never felt so strange, so out of balance before in her life. The haze in her mind began to fall away, as did the double-images that swam in her vision. Clarity returned to her, and she gazed out onto the unfamiliar scenery beyond. Confusion and dread filled her heart.

 _What the...?!_

Instead of the metal hull of a plane, a sandy tropical island greeted her eyes. Sparse vegetation covered the shoreline. Off into the distance, she spotted a grotto along the beach, with two large slabs of rock piercing the horizon in opposite directions. As Alex's eyes scanned the beach further, her heart sank.

One after another, corpses of both humanoid beings and the hybrid creatures created from the storm of light. She recognized the the graceful aquatic forms and the round, bouldery shapes all too well. In between the bloated carcasses, bits of debris washed up onto the beach, from large scraps of metal to suitcases, purses, coolers, and containers of all shapes and sizes. As the seagulls pecked at their bodies to feed, Alex felt tears water in her eyes.

 _No... No...!_

She backed away from the shoreline, mortified and sickened by the sight around her. An involuntary gasp escaped Alex's throat. Her hands flew to cover her mouth. The instant her fingers made contact with her face, Alex pulled her hands away. The sensation of slimy scales in place of soft skin made Alex stand rigid.

When she raised the palms of her hands in front of her face, her heart skipped a beat. Although the fingers and hands that obeyed her will remained humanoid, blue scales covered every inch of her fingers. They poked out of a pair of leather gauntlets, which covered her hands, wrists, and forearms, ending just below her elbows. A set of thick, dolphin-like fins erupted from the same area, their tips spotted and blotched as if covered by algae.

Alex's eyes traveled up her bare, muscular upper arms- arms more befitting a man than the slender arms she remembered having. Her entire upper body, exposed to the elements, had undergone a similar shift. A small set of fins obscured her breasts, which barely rose higher than the rest of her chest. Along her ribcage, three pairs of gills slitted across her skin. On her waist hung a green skirt, secured by a thick leather belt. Studded leather boots clothed her feat, reaching just below her knees.

 _What the fuck is this?!_

Her fingers moved down her neck, where she felt a thick, leather choker around her throat, an object she did not remember wearing at all. Alex pressed her hands against her head. In place of her hair, a set of sinewy, fleshy strands dangled along the sides of her face. Her fingers traveled further down the back of her head, where a long, tail-like appendage hung off the back of her head in place her long hair.

In that instant, her heart began to pound in her chest. Her legs wobbled and shook, unable to bear the weight of her terror any longer. Her mind reeled as confusion and horror overwhelmed her thoughts. Alex closed her eyes and let out a blood curdling, aquatic scream.

"Oh God...," Alex muttered to herself, "What is this? What's happened to me?!"

She collapsed onto her hands and knees, unable to stop the sobs of terror from pouring out. Her fingers dug into the sand, while the sea breeze blew around her, causing the grass and shrubbery around her to sway. Even her voice had changed, sounding much deeper than she remembered. Alex tried to clear her throat, to remove the watery sensation that lingered when she spoke to no avail.

All around her, the seagulls flapped their wings and disappeared deep into the watery horizon, spooked by the otherworldly creature in their midst.

Tremors ran down Alex's body. Nausea filled every part of her body. Her skin, dry from sitting out in the open air, screamed for moisture. She wrapped her arms around her body as she walked toward the grotto in the distance.

Alex dared not look at the beach around her. The sight of death filled her with untold sadness. She did not know these people; they could have been fathers, daughters, sisters, or brothers. Now, as she walked the beach in an alien body, she wept alone, the sole survivor of a terrible catastrophe.

 _Why? Why did this have to happen? Why did any of this have to happen...?_

In the maelstrom of sorrow that consumed her, she focused her thoughts on her memories of better times...

* * *

 **Oregon, United States - Portland Community College, Sylvania Campus  
December 11, 2015 CE  
12:00PM, Pacific Standard Time**

 _The sound of a ticking clock stifled the silence of the room. All around Alex, various people of all ages sat attentively at their computers. On the monitor in front of Alex, she studied the exam questions. All across the screen, multiple choice buttons, checkboxes, and text boxes covered the webpage._

This has got to be the stupidest test I've ever taken. It's like they wrote these questions for five year olds...

 _Down the aisles of the classroom, a proctor watched the crowd with a careful eye. Alex let out a sigh of boredom. Minutes went by, and as she neared the end of the exam, her mind wandered off. Images of cats jumping into boxes and swatting at printers on YouTube filled her mind, and before her thoughts wandered too far, she stopped herself._

Alex, this is not the time to think about cat videos. I have to pass this stupid GED Exam, or I'll never hear the end of it from Grandpa...

 _She narrowed her eyes at the screen._

Come on, Alex! Focus! It's the last exam I need to finish!

 _Drawing in a deep breath, she typed in answers and clicked radio buttons. When she reached the end of the page, she glanced at the questions one last time, double checking her answers. Satisfied with her answers, she hit the submit button. Alex pursed her lips._

And now, let the waiting game begin...

 _She pushed in her chair and logged out of the test. Alex walked past where the proctor had seated herself. As she opened and closed the door behind her, Alex made her way out of the testing center and to the hallway beyond. There, she took a seat and pulled out her smartphone._

 _Minutes felt like an eternity. Alex gazed down at the screen of her smartphone with a smirk on her face. She opened her browser, and typed in a web address. Before long, she made her way to one of her favorite internet haunts- a Legend of Zelda message board. Within moments, she wandered into the Theorizing section._

 _She typed word after word onto the screen. When she finished, a series of new topics appeared on the screen:_

 _ **Link and Zelda are in an incestuous relationship.**_

 _ **The Hyrule Historia Timeline is not canon.**_

 _ **The Fourth Piece of the Triforce is Real!**_

 _ **Sheik is a hermaphrodite.**_

Alright, that's enough of that for now...

 _She closed the browser tab, and surfed the internet in silence. Time flew by, and by the time Alex had finished perusing YouTube, hours had passed. Out of the corner of her eye, a woman in a dress stepped out of the testing center._

 _"Alex Donovan?" she asked._

 _On hearing the woman's voice, Alex sat up in her chair. She put her smartphone into sleep mode and looked up at the newcomer._

 _"Yes?"_

 _"We have the results of your GED Exam ready. Come this way, please."_

 _Alex followed the woman back into the testing center. Moments later, she stepped back out of the testing center. Her lips curled up into a half-smile as her eyes glanced at her results. Without another word, she put her phone in her purse and made her way off the campus._

* * *

 **3:30PM, Donovan Residence**

 _Alex drove up to the small house in the cul-de-sac around her. Stepping out of the car, she made her way across the lawn and up the steps leading to the porch. The front door creaked open, and Alex poked her head inside._

 _"Grandpa?" She called out, "Grandpa, you home?"_

 _She stepped through the door and looked around. Reclined on a sofa, an old man with thick gray hair reposed, his eyes closed and his snores thundering through the living room. Alex smiled at him, and tiptoed closesr to the sleeping elder. On the coffee table, she picked up a small whistle._

 _With a smirk on her face, she drew in a deep breath and whistled a tune of reveille into his ear. In an instant, the old man shot up onto his feet. He looked around him, confused and disoriented. When his eyes looked into the face of his granddaughter, Alex pulled the whistle away from her and laughed._

 _"What was that for? Didn't you see I was taking a nap just now?!"_

 _Alex's smirk widened._

 _"Now, Grandpa, it's not my fault you were caught sleeping on the job again. That's okay, though, because I have good news to tell you!"_

 _Alex's Grandfather rubbed his eyes and yawned._

 _"And what news would that be? That you've managed to not stir up trouble for once? That you've finally apologized to Susie Beckett for tormenting her all those years you were in high school together?"_

 _In a display of mock disappointment, Alex wagged her finger at him._

 _"Now, Grandpa, first of all, it served her right for harassing me about my assets. Second, my breast size was, and is, none of her business to begin with, and third, had her gang of cronies not bullied everyone relentlessly, I'd have left them alone and not started that campaign on Facebook. Finally, would it kill you to have just a little shred of faith in me?"_

 _From out of her purse, Alex pulled out an envelope. She opened the envelope, and removed a folded sheet of paper. Unfolding the document, she held it up to her grandfather's face, her mouth curled up into a full-fledged smile._

 _"I completed my GED, Grandpa. With Honors, I might add."_

 _Alex's Grandfather took the paper out of Alex's hands, and held it up to his face. His eyes widened, and he glanced back at Alex with an astonished, smile on his lips. She grinned back at him, while the two hugged each other._

 _"I'm so proud of you, Alex! I knew you had it in you. A shame it took you getting expelled to realize it, but what's done is done, I guess."_

 _"Now, Grandpa, you always used to tell me how much you hated Principal Rogers. It was never my fault that he had no sense of humor whatsoever."_

 _"Alex, to be fair, I don't think anyone really appreciated you tossing all those pencils at the ceiling. Or that time you planted a whoopie cushion on his chair. Or even that time you recorded farts and played them back while he was trying to give a speech at the dress rehersal for the school play. Really, child, sometimes you can take your jokes a little too far..."_

 _"Those were the days, weren't they, Grandpa? Why, it's making me teary just thinking about the days when I was young, stupid, and naive..."_

 _"You still have much to learn, child."_

 _"And now I might still have a chance of making culinary arts school if I keep this up. See, Grandpa? I do have goals in life!"_

 _"Good. Now if you can just keep on sticking your nose to the grindstone, you might just make those goals of yours a reality."_

 _Alex laughed. She kissed her grandfather on the cheek and patted him on the shoulder. In spite of his teasing, he looked back up at her with a smile. As she turned to look away from him, she turned her attention to a photograph on the wall, above the television. It showed a black and white picture of a younger man embracing a young woman. Beneath the photograph, the words "Frederick and Jolene", drawn in worn black paint, stood out against the beige frame around it._

 _"You think... Grandma would be proud of me?" Alex asked, a sad frown._

 _Frederick's eyes shifted toward his granddaughter, a frown of concern forming on his face._

 _"I think that she would want you to do your best, and to make something of yourself. I'm not getting any younger, and I don't know how much longer I'll be around. Someboday... you and your sister are going to have to learn to stand on your own two feet."_

 _Alex turned around._

 _"I miss her so much, Grandpa... It's not the same without her..."_

 _"I know, Alex... I know. It hasn't been easy at all since she passed away. But we'll get through this. Your grandmother is in a better place now. She... she wouldn't want to see you sitting here, moping about her like this. We have to be brave... for her sake, and ours..."_

 _With a sigh, Alex glanced up toward the hallway._

 _"You're right, Grandpa. I'm sorry. Um... Have you seen Cass at all today?"_

 _Frederick shook his head._

 _"I haven't seen your sister since she took off to work. She should be coming home soon."_

 _Words danced at the tip of Frederick's tongue. A sudden thought came to his mind. As Alex moved toward the hallway, he held his hand up to stop her._

 _"Alex, Darcy called. When you have a moment, you might want to call her back."_

 _Alex raised her eyebrow._

 _"What did she want?"_

 _Frederick shook his head and shrugged._

 _"I don't know. She said she wanted to talk to you about something."_

 _"Well, alright, let me put my things down..."_

 _Alex disappeared down the hallway. She opened her bedroom door and set her purse down. Unzipping her purse, she rummaged through it, searching for her smartphone. When her fingers touched the glass surface of the touch screen, she pulled it out. Kicking her shoes off, she made herself comfortable on her bed, as she pulled the number pad on the screen and dialed numbers._

 _She placed the receiver up to her ear, and waited for the ringing tone to disappate. A smile formed on her lips as she heard a click._

 _"...Hello?"_

 _Alex's face beamed as the familiar voice of a beloved family friend spoke to her through the receiver._

 _"Hi, Darcy! It's Alex. Grandpa said you wanted to talk to me?"_

 _"Alex! Good to hear from you. Any luck with your GED?"_

 _Alex nodded into the phone._

 _"Just finished my exam today. Passed with honors. I should get my official one in the mail sometime in June along with whenever PCC decides to send out diplomas."_

 _"I'm so happy to hear that! You know, I was worried about you when your grandmother passed away. You kept on getting into all kinds of fights at school, and into all sorts of trouble. I know you've always been the practical joker of the family, but I'm glad to see you taking a bit of responsibility in your life, too."_

 _"Well, you know, we all have to own up to the stupid things we do in life, right? Besides, I really want to get enrolled at Oregon Culinary Institute sometime, and with me getting expelled and all, I didn't feel I was going to be able to make that happen any time soon."_

 _A laugh echoed from the receiver._

 _"Ah, still plan on being a chef?"_

 _"You know it. Grandpa's a lousy cook. Remember that time he ruined an entire pot of home-made chili? Man, that was really something. How do you... ruin something like that, and so epically, too? I took one taste of that chili, Darcy, and my tongue just about fell out!"_

 _"Yeah, that really was something. Say, Darren has been asking about you. We haven't seen you guys at all since your grandmother's funeral."_

 _Alex frowned._

 _"That was my fault. I think we were all really caught up in her passing away. It still hits us pretty hard, her being gone... But you can't stay sad forever, you know? You have to pick up the pieces and move on at some point."_

 _Alex could hear the smile on the other end of the phone. In spite of the pang of sadness in her heart, she felt her lips curl up slightly._

 _"Say, we were thinking of heading out to San Juan sometime late February for a little vacation. Would you or your sister like to come along?"_

 _On hearing that question, Alex sat up straight in surprise._

 _"Well, gee, I'd love to, but money's still really tight, Darcy. I don't think I can afford a plane ticket to come out to see you."_

 _"Don't worry about the money right now, Alex. I know money is tight for you and your Grandpa. I can cover the air fare, the baggage fees, what have you. Just let me know what you decide."_

 _"Look, at least let me agree to pay you back. That's fair, at least."_

 _"Think of it as my treat for you finishing your high school equivalency."_

 _Alex let out a sigh. She did not feel comfortable accepting such a generous offer. While a trip to the tropics tickled her fancy, she did not like the idea of someone else paying for her trip, even if that person happened to be a family friend._

 _What do I do? Do I accept? Do I tell her no? Man, I haven't spoken to Darren in so long... He hasn't said a word to me since he blew up at me for that fireworks prank. I wonder how he's doing... but how am I going to get Darcy to agree to let me pay her back?_

 _Not knowing what else to do, Alex nodded her head._

 _"Okay... I can come along, but we have to figure out a time I can pay you back, alright? Air fare's not cheap, and money doesn't grow on trees and all..."_

 _"It's settled, then. I'll email you all the nitty gritty details. I have to get going now. Talk to you in a little while, alright?"_

 _"Alright, Darcy, it was nice talking to you. Bye."_

 _As Alex ended the call, she stared at the ceiling, wondering just how the trip would work out..._

* * *

 **Carribean Sea - Deserted Cay  
March 1, 2016 CE (3 Eldin, 1437 HCE Hyrulean Reckoning)**

 _I'm such a idiot..._

Alex stepped into the cold confines of the grotto. Slabs of rock formed the ceiling, leaving an opening across from where she entered. Rocky steps lead to more sandy coastline beyond. Sea water pounded against earth and lapped up the white beach.

Shaking her head, Alex turned her attention away from the shore and toward the large pool of sea water in the center. Despite her nausea, she dreaded stepping into the pool- dreaded feeding the alien flesh that made up her form. The thought of looking into the pool and seeing her face terrified her.

 _I have to know... I have to know what that light did to me..._

The face that peered back at her through the water's reflection caught her off guard. Like the rest of her form, it carried little of the feminine curves she once possessed. Only the fact that her face still remained humanoid brought her any sense of relief. Off the sides of her face, fins shaped like hair dangled off her head. A pair of human eyes peered back at her; the left, a deep blue, and the right, the same green hue she had known since adolescence.

Alex's fear began to melt away into confusion. She knew the face of the creature she stared at in the water all too well.

 _Wha...? A Zora...?_

She searched through her memory of the night before. Before her eyes, she had watched the other passengers shift and morph into forms harkening back to the tribes of Hyrule... tribes from a fantasy realm that did not exist. Alex remembered running through the plane, leading others to safety from the otherworldly light that twisted them into those forms. She remembered being touched by the light, and torn apart by it... followed a black void.

 _No..._

Alex reeled at the void in her memory. She searched her memory again, certain that she made a mistake. To her own horror, she recalled nothing after that event, nothing at all besides her awakening on the tropical island. She held up her hands in front of her face.

 _This makes no sense at all! How did I end up here? What happened on the plane? Am I the only one who survived? Better yet..._ _ **how**_ _did I survive?_ _ **How**_ _am I even still alive at all...?_

Unable to fight her body's cries for moisture any longer, Alex stepped into the pool. She knelt down within it, and her vision clouded up, as though a membrane had slid over her eyes. Alex sank deeper until her form became submerged under its surface. The gills along her ribs went into overdrive, drawing in oxygen out of the water. Shudders ran down Alex's spine at the alien sensations.

 _Am I stuck like this forever? Please God, I don't want to spend the rest of my life here on this forsaken island. I don't even have a Gilligan here to keep me company or provide comic relief. Granted, I'd probably kill him since he didn't do much for the Skipper or the Minnow, but still! It's the thought that counts, dammit!_

Moments passed, and Alex's nausea began to fade. Her scales drank in the moisture of the pool, relieved of their exposure to the sea winds that blew across the island. In the depths of the pool, her stomach let out several growls. She frowned at her latest predicament.

 _Well, at least my appetite's about the same as before. I haven't started breathing fire at any passerbys in green tunics... yet. There's a couple positives I can take out of this... right?_

* * *

 **Sometime later...**

Alex stared at the shore with a solemn expression. For every human body that had washed ashore alongside her, she found several hybrid beings resembling Gorons, Zoras, Deku Scrubs, and Hylians. Beside them floated the wreckage of the plane, its metal scraps pushed up far onto the beach. The sight made her want to wretch.

This is awful...

She stepped over the bodies and rummaged though the suitcases and coolers that had somehow survived the crash. Everywhere, she found the same thing- clothes, electronics, and accessories too water-damaged to be of any use. Her stomach let out a growl, and she found herself wading through the cold sea water to find the coolers in hopes something, anything that could satisfy her hunger.

"I'm sorry... I know this stuff probably belonged to you guys, but seeing as you're dead and all... No hard feelings, alright? I don't want any of you turning into Poes and haunting me in my sleep."

When Alex placed her scaled fingers on the cold, metal surface of a blue cooler, she pried open the air-tight lid with ease. Inside, she breathed a sigh of relief. Inside the cooler, wrestled behind still-cold gel packs, bits of frozen chicken and hamburger sat within sealed plastic bags.

 _I'd complain about the lack of buns, but beggars can't be choosers. I don't know how much juice is in these gel packs, but I'll see if I can make this last a little while._

Alex turned around and nodded her head at the sea of corpses.

"Much obliged, fellas."

 _I'm not sure how this guy didn't get plugged up with sea water already, but... well, can't look a gift horse in the mouth._

As she pulled the cooler out of the water and onto the shore, she looked back out at the dead bodies around her. Guilt welled up inside of her. She felt like a thief, stealing food that these once-living people had worked to obtain. The thought of them lying there, being pecked at by the seagulls, filled her with sadness.

With a heavy sigh, Alex jumped back into the water and waded through the wreckage, her lips curled a deep frown. She tore open suitcase after suitcase, in hopes that she could find a shovel. Next to the body of a Goron hybrid, she pulled open a suitcase, and found several shovels, machetes, rope, and emergency flares. She raised her brow at the sight.

 _I'd say you were being just a wee bit paranoid, but I'm sure you didn't plan on turning into a rock anymore than I did turning into a fish..._

As she pulled the supply suitcase out of the water, she held her right arm in front of her face.

 _It's weird... My right arm doesn't feel as strong as it used to be. I'm not used to being so... buff and all, but... it's like most of my power doesn't come out of this arm anymore._

* * *

 **That evening...**

Alex rubbed two pieces of driftwood along a circle of rocks. She gritted her teeth in frustration. Throughout all of the luggage that had washed ashore, not a single one of them contained a lighter that worked. Now, Alex found herself struggling to build a fire. Her stomach roared louder. She furrowed her eyes.

 _Goddammit... They make this shit look so easy in the movies! Why can't I figure this shit out?!_

Surrounding the wood with dry grass, she continued rubbing, hoping that something, anything would spark a fire. With every ounce of strength she could muster, she ground the pieces of wood into each other. The wood in her right hand jumped away, smacking her left hand. She cried out in pain and annoyance.

"Fucking Christ, why is this shit so hard?!"

She massaged her left hand. As her stomach rumbled in protest, she furrowed her brow. Alex tossed the pieces of wood aside for a moment and gazed down at her scaly fingers.

 _I don't get this at all... It's like my right arm just won't... grip like it used to._

A thought crossed her mind. Like a lightbulb going off in her brain, she grabbed the pieces of driftwood, and leading with her left hand, began to grind the wood together. With strength she never possessed in that hand before, she moved faster until sparks began to appear. She stopped and blew on the wood. Smoke began to rise up, and before long, she had a fire underway.

She looked up at her left arm.

 _Wait... since when did I become left-handed...?_

Relieved that she had a fire going, she turned a flat rock toward the fire. Eager for sustenance, she unsealed the cooler and began to fumble through its contents.

 _Goddamn, I'm so hungry... I haven't eaten a damn thing all day..._

Pulling out a bag of hamburger from the cooler, she grabbed the meat, divided it into two flat patties, and with her boots, turned the flatrock away from the fire. She placed the patties on it. The meat sizzled on the heated surface, while the aroma made Alex's mouth water. Moments later, Alex grabbed a nearby pair of sticks and flipped the patties over.

As grease began to drip down the sides of the rock, Alex poked at the meat, exposing their center. Seeing no trace of redness within the cooked hamburger, she carefully grabbed the two patties off the rock and placed them on the cold surface of the cooler. Content that the patties had cooled enough to eat, she pulled the meat apart and began to devour it.

 _Oh my fucking God... I never thought hamburgers patties alone could taste so awesome... Good thing my uncle showed me the rock trick, or I'd be up shit creek without a paddle right now._

Her hunger sated, she threw dirt onto the fire to put it out before returning to the grotto.

 _I've been out of the water for too long again..._

Without hesitation, she stepped back into the pool of water within the grotto. As she sank into its depths, relief poured through every scale on her body. She shuddered as her vision clouded and her gills went back to work.

 _I'm never going to get used to this at all._

Freed from the ravages of her appetite, her thoughts turned toward her grandfather and her twin sister back home. Her head burst up out of the water. When she saw her reflection in the wavy waters, she let out a gasp. A blackened membrane covered her eyes.

A blue shimmer glistened on her left eye in the moonlight, while a green shimmer did the same on her right. Spooked by the sight, she pulled her face away from the water. Blinking her eyes, she felt the membrane slide away, revealing her true eyes once more.

 _Oh God... This is starting to freak me out something awful..._

She cupped her face in her hands. Her terror, repressed by her need for sustenance, came thrashing back to the surface of her thoughts. As she remembered her grandfather's smiling face, the reality of her situation drew her into sadness. Sobs escaped from her lips.

 _What the fuck am I going to do? How the hell am I going to get back home? What if I do find my way back to Clackamas? He won't recognize me..._ _ **I**_ _don't even recognize myself..._

As she became lost further and further in her turmoil, she cast a glance down at the green skirt hanging from her hips. In that instant, an idea dawned on her.

 _Hold the phone for a minute... I recognize this skirt. Zora Link in_ Majora's Mask _wore somethning like this, but... why the hell am I_ _ **wearing**_ _it?_

She laughed at the horrible, horrible theory that slithered into her thoughts.

 _Oh God, Alex. That's the shittiest idea ever. There's no way I could be wearing a mask and channeling the spirit of a dead person, much less a dead video game character. Nope. There's no way this is possible at all... Just like how a dimensional storm didn't just turn a flight full of innocent people into rabid Gorons and Zoras and god-knows-what-else... from a place that is equally non-existent, I might add... Definitely not possible at all..._

Unable to ignore the implications of her theory, she lifted her hands up to her face. Her scaled fingers traveled the sides of her face, searching for the edges of a mask. When she found nothing, she grabbed the sides of her face and began to pull. Instead of the sensation of a mask being removed, she only felt the pain of her skin being tugged on.

Alex descended into a fit of laughter, followed by sobs of grief. For what seemed like an eternity, she cried into the night, until she could keep her eyes open no longer. She fell into a deep sleep, lulled by the waves of the sea beyond.

* * *

Link bolted forward. His eyes glanced around him, taking in the unfamiliar sights of grotto that sheltered him. Confused and disoriented, he pushed his body out of the pool of water.

 _Where am I?_

He did not remember coming to this place. Images of the plane crash flashed in his mind, of the woman he tried to save that night, and of putting on a mask. Link moved his arms in front of him, wiggling the fins attached to them before shifting his gaze to the Zoran shape that obeyed his will.

 _It worked._

As he looked at his altered form, a frown formed on his face. Although the musculature resembled his own, the slender fingers, the ridge of fins that concealed a pair of breasts, stood as a sad reminder of the calamity wrought by the light's terrible power that night. To his complete dismay, not even a magical mask belonging to the fabled Hero of Time could correct twisted, feminine form the light forced upon him.

Despite the ambivalent emotions that boiled within him, he focused his thoughts on the amalgamate beings created by the light. Their maddened eyes, brimming with that unholy white energy, burned in his memory. Before his eyes, the very people he had sworn to protect had been reduced to crazed amalgamates- being neither fully Hyrulean nor completely of the strange world he found himself in now.

He touched his hand to his cheek, which felt warm and moist. Link pulled his hand away, eying the liquid that fell onto his scaly fingers.

 _...Tears?_

Link shifted his eyes toward his reflection in the moonlit water. His left eye, the same blue he had known all his life, burned with the light's terrible power, while his right eye had shifted to a green color. He raised his brow, confused by the puffy redness that characterized his eyes. The sight of his glimmering left pupil sent shivers down his spine. He looked away from the pool and closed his eyes.

 _Have I been crying? What have I been doing this whole time?_

He opened his eyes and shifted his gaze around the grotto. To his right, watery footprints from outside lead to the pool he found himself in. Link stepped out of the water and followed the prints outside. There, more footprints traveled across the sand. As Link moved to look at the shoreline, his heart sank.

Corpses washed up along the beach, along with wreckage. Some of them appeared Hylian, while others resembled Gorons, Zoras, Deku Scrubs, and other creatures from his world in varying states of change. Seagulls hovered over them, tearing into their bodies in a feeding frenzy. The very sight of them made Link clench his left fist in anger.

Link screamed at the top of his lungs and rushed toward the seagulls. The flock panicked and flew off into the night. He fell onto his knees and pounded his fist against the ground. Despite his attempts to bury his feelings, he could do nothing to stop the tears that fell down his face at the sight of his fallen people.

 _No... Oh Goddesses, no..._

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a set of shovels and tools next to a makeshift firepit. Link pushed himself onto his feet and made his way over to the firepit. The firepit looked recently used. A metallic blue cooler rested nearby. Despite his curiosity, he ignored the container and grabbed a shovel.

He walked back toward the piles of bloated cadavers, a solemn expression on his face. Link drew in a deep breath and set about the grim task ahead of him. One by one, he pulled the dead bodies out of the water. Using his shovel, he began to dig into the sand. Minutes flew by, and with the hole in the ground completed, he dragged the body of an incomplete Hylian hybrid and gently placed them into the ground. Link wiped the moisture away from his forehead as he covered the body with the sand he dug up moments ago.

All throughout the night, Link carried on this solemn task. Not once did he rest, not until the bodies of all the hybrid beings rested within the arms of the earth. By the time the last body laid in a makeshift grave, he spotted the rising sun off into the distance. Spent and exhausted, he fell onto his knees and rested his arms and forehead on the handle of the shovel.

 _You shouldn't have died here. You should've died in Hyrule... where we belong..._

As the scales of his Zoran form cried out for moisture, he offered one last prayer to the forsaken souls of Hyrule that had washed ashore.

 _Goddesses, please guide these lost souls, and grant them peace in their next life. May they find release from their pain and suffering, and may those of us who remain return to Your arms swiftly. Amen._

Spent and exhausted, Link hobbled toward the safety of the grotto. He walked into the pool of water and submerged himself in silence. Link closed his eyes, feeling himself beginning to drift away.

 _I'm sorry. I could not protect you. Please forgive me, everyone..._

* * *

 **March 2, 2016 CE (4 Eldin, 1437 HCE Hyrulean Reckoning)**

 _Ugh... Why do I feel so groggy...?_

Alex opened her eyes. She found herself within the depths of the grotto's pool. Pushing herself away from the walls, she surfaced and stepped out of the pool. A loud yawn escaped her lips as she stretched her arms out in front of her. Alex's eyes wandered toward the rightmost entrance of the grotto, where she spotted many, many footprints in the sand. She shook her head in confusion.

 _I know I was up and about quite a bit yesterday, but... something just seems off here..._

Alex stepped out of the pool and wandered outside. The corpses, once strewn haphazardly onto the shore by the sea beyond, had vanished. Rocks and boulders rested in the sand, placed with great care and attention as though monuments. A worn shovel stuck up out of the wet sand. She shook her head, perplexed by the sight.

 _How...? Where did they go? Was someone here last night?_

"Hello?" Alex called out.

Only her watery voice echoed through the air. At first, she strode into a brisk pace before running all throughout the cay.

"Hello? Can anyone hear me? Is anyone out there?!"

No one answered her call. Nothing else but her remained on the sandy bar. Alex's eyes began to water, her hopes dashed.

 _Fucking Christ, this place is starting to get to me... I hope I never see this island again for the rest of my life._

* * *

 **Later that night...**

The sound of horn billowing tore Alex away from her slumber. She had fallen asleep outside the pool of water. Alex's eyes shifted around the grotto, in search of the startling sound. When the horn blew through the air again, Alex stood up rigid. She raced toward the beach.

Wind pounded the sandy shore. Alex hend her hand in front of her face. Dark storm clouds gathered in the heavens above, while torrential rain poured onto the cay. As her eyes looked toward the horizon, she let out a heartfelt gasp.

Off into the distance, a boat pierced the horizon. Beacons of light drove away the growing darkness. Alex's heart raced, her hopes and prayers of a rescue answered. She jumped into the air and waved her arms and fins into the air.

 **"Help! Somebody help!"** She yelled at the top of her lungs.

Her eyes widened as the boat began to veer away from the island.

 _No no no no no_

Frantic, she rummaged through the suitcase near her firepit. She pulled the fuse and lit the flare. Pinkish red flames billowed out gray smoke, and she waved it into the air.

"Come back! Please come back! **Don't leave me here!** "

She lit flare after emergency flare, hoping that she could get the boat's attention in the stormy seas beyond. The boat disappeared into the night. Alex fell onto her hands and knees, her sobs echoing in the raging storm around her.

"Please don't leave me... I don't want to be alone..."

Alex squeezed her eyes shut and whimpered, tears streaming down her face.

Minute by minute, the boat began to shrink, until its horns could no longer be heard above the billowing winds around her.

* * *

For several days, Alex waited for another boat to arrive. No one came. Abandoned and alone, her supplies dwindled. By the eighth day, nothing remained within the coller, the food within gone. Alex sat outside the leftmost entrance of the grotto, taking in the setting sun. She held her hands up to her face.

 _I'm still me. No matter what happens here, I'm still me. Deep down, I'm still human. I'll find a way back home. I'll show my Grandpa and everyone I know that I'm still Alex Donovan._

She looked around the cay one last time, a defiant expression on her face.

 _We all have to make hard decisions at some point. I can't stay another minute on this island. There's nothing left for me here except to die. I cannot accept that. I will not accept that._

Alex gazed down at the clear blue water below. Fish swam just below the surface, while branches of coral, pink and stone-like, stood out from the azure abyss. Looking into that black abyss, she felt more afraid now than she had ever been on that plane. She stood up onto her feet and drew in one last breath of air.

 _I guess it's time for me to do as the Zora do... Since help is not going to come, I must help myself. So long, deserted island. The service here sucked._

She ran off the rocks that separated the grotto from the sea, and dove into the water, disappearing into sea beyond.


	8. Diablerie

**Soulbound**

Chapter IV - Ganondorf: Diablerie

 **Minnesota, United States - Union Cemetery  
March 7, 2016 CE (9 Eldin, 1437 HCE Hyrulean Reckoning)  
11:00PM, Central Standard Time**

Fog blanketed the grassy field, enshrouding the area in hazy white. Owls, raccoons, and other animals hooted and chirped into the dark night. The crunching of dead leaves pierced their calls as a lone figure made his way through the forest, with flashlight in hand. Drawing in a deep breath, he adjusted his hat and exhaled.

 _I can't wait for this shift to be over. Ever since those freaks showed up, we've been getting vandalized left and right..._

Passing by a set of trees, the man's gaze shifted toward a set of half-broken grave markers. Between the hooting of owls and the sounds of howling in the distance, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. His arm shook as he held the flashlight in front of him, the sights around him obscured by the ever present fog around him. The man ran his flashlight along the ground, eying the plaques of the deceased before him.

A terrible hissing tore through the air. The man stood rigid, startled by the noise. With his free hand, he pulled out a pistol from his holster and pointed it toward the fog. Moments passed, and the man's tension and paranoia grew more and more pronounced with every shaky breath.

Footsteps pounded on the earth. From out of nowhere, a woman's desperate pleas filled the air. Through the fog, the man watched hazy streams of red energy stream into the ground. As a sliver of moonlight radiated through the dark clouds above, he turned around and gasped at the giant shadow before his eyes.

The man cocked his pistol at the shadow. A single, glowing right eye gazed down at him with contempt.

"Hey! You're not supposed to be here! This is-"

Before the man could get another word in, skeletal hands burst from the ground. They grabbed onto his legs, pulling him down while pushing itself to the surface. Dark energy surged throughout the skeleton's form, encasing it in blackened armor. A sword and shield manifested in its hands. The man struggled in vain to escape the skeleton's grip. Feeling the skeleton's sword on his neck, the man watched in horror as more monsters, both skeletal and reptilian, appeared around the shadowy figure.

With a motion of the shadow's hand, the skeleton lowered its sword, pinning the man in place with inhuman strength. Metal greaves clanked against the ground as the shadowy figure came into full view. A single right eye, glowing a sickly yellow, stood out in the fog. The shadow's eye burned itself into his memory as the skeleton slit his throat.

As the skeleton released the man, he collapsed onto the ground. His life bled away, and as the world grew colder, the shadow snorted in disappointment. The sound of a woman's pleas, mixed in with the cries of inhuman monstrosities, faded into silence and oblivion.

* * *

 **Northfield Police Department  
March 8, 2016 CE (10 Eldin, 1437 HCE Hyrulean Reckoning)  
7:00AM**

Dozens of men and women in uniform passed in and out of the building. In their arms, secured by handcuffs, Aberrants squirmed and cried out in tongues. Drawing in a deep sigh, Kelly rubbed the bridge of his nose as he took off his glasses for a moment. He opened his eyes and glanced at the cup of coffee on his desk, taking in the bitter aroma.

On his laptop, the file for Samson Blackwell flashed on the screen. The tired face stared back at him, chin peppered with razor stubble. Beside this file, other opened files flashed on the screen. Beside him, a small radio announced the day's events.

"Police are investigating the death of Travis Richbaum in Pleasant Grove. He was found dead this morning by a resident visiting Union Cemetery. At this time, Stewartville Police are investigating the crime scene. We will have more information on this breaking story as it comes in."

"Thank you, Joanna. This marks the growing death toll of 50 people along Route 52. Combined with the disappearance of hundreds from Northfield, Pine Island, and Rochester, fear is running rampant throughout these communities. There is worry of a possible serial killer on the loose..."

 _It never gets any easier, does it? It's like some phantom came by and made these people disappear right off the face of the planet._

As he glanced back at Samson Blackwell's ID photo, images of Emily Blackwell's testimony flashed in his mind. He recalled the details of the dark, shadowy figure that emerged from the ruins of Northfield hospital.

 _We have to get to the bottom of this before more people are hurt. Could Emily Blackwell's demon be involved? Every body that's been found has been marred by the same thing- inhuman claws, like the ones we found at the hospital._

As Kelly took another sip of his coffee, Brenner stepped into his office.

"Ready to go on a trip?"

Kelly raised his eyebrow at his partner.

"What sort of trip?"

"Chief wants us to head down and assist the Stewartville Police Department with their investigation into the Richbaum murder. Apparently, somebody thinks we may be chasing after the same guy."

"You don't say..."

 _Emily Blackwell... I promised her that I would find the monster that took her parents. I hope that we're ready for when that day comes._

Kelly closed his laptop. He placed it inside his briefcase. Without another word, he turned the lights off to his office and followed his partner out of the building. The pair stepped into their car and drove away from the city of Northfield.

* * *

 **7:50AM, US Route 52**

Kelly looked outside the windows of the passenger seat. All along the roadway, houses that once bustled with life sat dark and lifeless, while others became boarded up and abandoned. The sight left the detective both dismayed and determined to find the cause.

 _Everyone is scared. Between the Aberrants going crazy and this monster running loose, no one knows what to do. We're supposed to be protecting the people, and yet I feel just as helpless as they do. What are we dealing with here? There has to be something that we're missing... Someway to put the pieces of this puzzle together._

"You're thinking about her again, aren't you?" Brenner asked.

Kelly's lips curled up in small smile.

"You know me too well."

"We've been partners for how long? Seven years now? That has to mean something, Matt. You aren't the only one being kept up by the thought of that girl being without her parents..."

Kelly closed his eyes and adjusted his glasses.

"We'll find him, Matt. I won't rest until we bring this monster to justice. I won't allow anymore kids like Emily Blackwell to be left orphaned and alone like that."

"Whatever happened to her, anyway?"

"As far as I know, she's staying with her aunt and uncle. Kid's still pretty shaken up, but she's trying to plow through one day at a time."

"What a trooper..."

For the longest time, the two sat in silence. Brenner watched the empty stretch of road ahead of him, while Kelly continued to gaze out into the homes, buildings, and businesses that once bustled with activity. Without warning, Brenner slams the brakes on the car. Kelly looked up, and saw a pointy-eared Aberrant walking down the stretch of highway.

The car swerved off to the side of the road. Kelly watched the man stagger toward them, his eyes filled with desperation. As the car spun to a stop on the edge of the concrete, the pair pushed open the doors and aimed their pistols at the figure.

"Freeze!"

As though in a trance, the Aberrant hobbled toward them.

"They're here... The Three are here..."

Kelly locked eyes with the Aberrant, confused and disturbed by his pronouncement. He lumbered toward them, like a being possessed. Though his right eye glimmered with the eerie light that characterized their affliction, he possessed an intelligence the two had only seen in the patient they met in Minneapolis.

 _Wasn't there somebody else who was like that? I think it was someone in California somewhere..._

"The Three will gather together, and commence their cycle of war once more. There, the Three will decide the fate of this world..."

Brenner shook his head, confused by the Aberrant's words.

"Excuse me?"

"Hear me! The end is nigh! **The end is nigh!** "

Without warning, the Aberrant clasped his head in pain. He fell onto his knees, shaking his head as though fighting another influence. Brenner and Kelly looked on, disturbed by the very sight in front of them.

"No... Get out... Get out of my head!"

The Aberrant collapsed onto the ground, screaming at the top of his lungs. Unsure of what to do, Brenner reached into his dashboard and grabbed a two-way radio.

"This is Detective Brenner. I have a man down on US Route 52 Southbound... We need an ambulance, fast!"

The two waited in silence as an ambulance rushed onto the scene several minutes later. Paramedics rushed over to where the Aberrant laid on the road. They looked at each other before shaking their heads. As the Aberrant was wheeled within the ambulance, Brenner and Kelly stepped back into their car and continued their trip.

* * *

 **9:20AM, Union Cemetery**

Brenner parked the car along the dirt road. The pair stepped out of the vehicle, and glanced out toward the familiar yellow police tape. All around them, police cars from the Stewartville and Rochester Police swarmed the cemetery. The pair walked toward the group of officers and flashed their badges.

"Which one of you is Sargeant Van Buren?" Brenner asked.

From out of the crowd of officers, a lone woman stepped forward. Her badge shimmered in the overcast skies above. She stepped toward the pair and held out her hand.

"That would be me, fellas. You must be the detectives from Northfield. I've been expecting you. Please, come this way."

Van Buren motioned for them to follow. Kelly and Brenner trailed behind Van Buren as she led them toward the crime scene. The smell of rotting flesh burned their nostrils. Van Buren glanced over her shoulder.

"Everyone in town is running scared. This sleepy little town hardly gets any visitors, but whatever visited this man last night wasn't human."

She slipped on a pair of latex gloves. Brenner and Kelly watched as she flipped the body over. A clean slicing wound, stained with darkened blood, laid exposed to the cold, winter air. The man's skin had lost all coloration. Beneath his deceased body laid a pool of dried blood. Claw marks marred every inch of the man's torso.

Kelly's skin crawled. The same vile aura permeated the cemetery that blanketed the hospital ruins a week ago. Despite his churning stomach, Kelly stood his ground, unwilling to look away from the gruesome scene before him. Pushing his apprehension aside, he studied the disturbed earth around the plaques and tombstones around the man's body.

 _Someone was disturbing these graves, but... why?_

Upturned grass blanketed the graves near the deceased man. As Kelly's eyes wandered to the others nearby, he noticed the same state with the others. Kelly motioned for Van Buren and his partner to gaze at the desecrated sites.

"You know any grave robbers around here?"

Van Buren shook her head, while Brenner raised an eyebrow at his partner's question.

"We don't get much trouble out here. Pleasant Grove isn't normally like this...," Van Buren replied, "Most of the people buried within this cemetery are relatives of the folks still living here. It's not common for people to bury a lot of valuables with their deceased."

Kelly turned around to face Van Buren.

"These graves have all been desecrated. Whatever was here last night didn't want our victim to learn about their activities here. Do you know of any Aberrants that... might have had some inclination to disturb these graves?"

Brenner held his chin in thought, while Van Buren gazed back at him with an intrigued expression.

"Now that you mention it, the chief said you had something to show us- something about a possible link to the missing couple we're looking for," Brenner said.

Van Buren nodded.

"We found a body cam on this man. It's not common protocol for security personnel working this cemetery to wear these, but since the increased activity from the Aberrants living here, the company that maintains these grounds felt the need for their men to wear these in case something happened. Something tells me that if it was one of the Aberrants... It wasn't one that lived around here."

She looked up at the detectives and nodded in approval. With a wave of her hand, she motioned for them to accompany her.

"Come with me."

* * *

 **10:10AM, Stewartville Police Department**

Brenner, Kelly, and Van Buren sat behind a desk. Their eyes remained glued to the screen, never looking away once as the footage unfolded. Dense fog, accompanied by the shaky breaths of the man once known as Travis Richbaum, gave the trio more than enough of an insight into the man's mentality in the video. Between the cracking of dead leaves and twigs, owl hoots and wolf howls echoed and rackled in the audio.

Inhuman growls and hisses broke through the sounds of nature, followed by the thunderous pounding of heavy footsteps. They watched their victim panic at the sound, whirling the camera around him. A woman's desperate pleas soon followed.

"No! Stop! Please don't do this anymore! They've done nothing to you!"

Through the shaking footage, they watched a terrible scene unfold before their eyes. Flashes of light, accompanied by fiery crackles, pierced the foggy night. The woman's distressed voice continued to beg and plead.

"Ganondorf... Sam... Please stop..."

A shadowy figure appeared in the fog. Latched onto his body, the hazy form of a blonde-haired woman pounded her fists against cold, blackened armor. Towering over their victim, a glowing eye peered down at the man with contempt. Travis aimed and cocked his gun at the dark giant before him.

"Hey! You're not supposed to be here! This is-"

Blood curdling screams escaped Travis' lips. The shadowy figure loomed closer. A pair of eyes glared down at their victim. The sclera of his right eye glowed a sickly yellow, while a green iris stood in contrast to the cold, grey left eye. Thick eyebrows, sideburns, and a small beard framed the giant shadow's face. A topaz headbrooch, framed by a golden crown attached to his long mane, shimmered in their victim's flashlight.

A serrated edge of a blackened sword whirled on the screen. The man's arms raced toward his neck, blocking the view of the camera. With a gurgle, the man fell limp onto the ground. The camera tumbled onto the ground. As a pool of blood trickled toward the camera's viewpoint, the trio watched as giant of a man waved a golden, clawed gauntlet over the graves around their victim.

Red and black energy danced around his fingertips before traveling into the ground below. One after another, they watched as skeleton after skeleton burst forth from the ground. The cracking of bones against the ground, followed by the sobs of a woman and the shadow's booming footsteps filled the audio feed. Inhuman hisses and roars filled the night as other monstrous shapes accompanied them. With a thundering boom, the group vanished like phantoms into the darkness.

Although the video feed carried on, the trio stopped the footage. They turned to one another with stunned faces. Kelly's eyes widened.

 _Dear God..._

Never before had Kelly felt so terrified. He did not know what about the video frightened him more- the fact that the missing couple they searched for still lived, or the fact that the very monster he and his partner pursued now raised the dead from their graves. His mind whirled at the revelation.

"It seems that we are chasing after the same thing," Brenner said, "Thank you for showing us this, Sargeant."

Van Buren looked at the two detectives, her face twisted into an expression of horror and confusion. She did not know what to make up the revelation of the footage they had found. To her, it appeared as though she had just finished watching a horror movie unfold. Her mind reeled, struggling to make sense of the events on the footage.

"What the hell are we dealing with here?"

Kelly shifted his gaze toward Van Buren.

"A doctor in Minneapolis said that the Aberrants in his care displayed strange powers... but nothing like this. I don't know what that thing wants, or why it has come to this area. We are dealing with a monster- a monster we have to stop before it kills more people."

"And how do you suppose we deal with this monster? You saw what it did in the footage! It desecrated the cemetery and defiled the dead! How are we supposed to contain... that?"

Brenner looked at his partner, incredulous to his bravado. Kelly gazed back at his partner, his face filled with grim determination.

"Kyle, get a hold of the chief. Tell him to send our SWAT team down here. Van Buren, I don't know what strings you can pull, but we need to close off all exits to the town. We can't let those two get past the Iowa border."

"Do you really think that's going to work?"

Kelly adjusted the rim of his glasses.

"I don't know if this will work or not, but it's better than letting this monster run loose through our streets. We have no idea how many people's he's killed, but if Travis Richbaum is any indication... he isn't going to stop unless he's put away. For all we know, he could very well be the source of the murders and the disappearances along Route 52..."

Van Buren nodded.

"Well, seeing as I don't have anything better to suggest, I will do what I can."

As Van Buren disappeared from her desk and into the police chief's office, Brenner and Kelly made their way out of the precinct. Brenner grabbed his smartphone and began to dial numbers. While his partner spoke into the receiver, Kelly held his chin in thought.

 _Why did she call him 'Ganondorf'? I... I think I've heard that name before somewhere, but I can't remember where..._

* * *

 **4:00PM, Underground Crypt**

Hot breath brushed against Alicia's neck. She opened her eyes and glanced around. All around her, reptilian and pig-like monstrosities huddled around each other in piles, their snores echoing through the air. Skeletons clad in armor stood like sentinels, their eye sockets shining with an ominous red light.

Wrapped around her naked body, the dark form of Ganondorf slumbered askew, his limp arms surrounding both sides of her head. Alicia tiled her head and shifted her gaze toward a dark corner of the abandoned catacombs around them. Her clothes and his armor laid strewn about.

Tears streamed down the sides of her face. She wanted her husband back. Somewhere, deep inside the demon that slept beside her, she wanted to believe that her husband still existed within. Guilt welled up inside her, tying her stomach into knots. As the damp air tickled her nose, her thoughts turned toward her child.

 _Emily..._

She prayed for her daughter's safety. In that instant, she felt torn between running away to reunite with her child, or staying here and finding a way to bring back her husband, the father her daughter needed. Alicia shifted her eyes back toward the long, vibrant red hair that laid haphazard and strewn about over their exposed bodies.

Her stomach tied itself in knots at the sight of him, the memory of the night before raw in her mind. She could not shake the way he forced his lips on her, just as she could not block out the nameless faces of the people she had watched die by his hand. As her husband's visage entered her thoughts, she gritted her teeth.

 _Sam... I don't know how much more of this I can take. He's hurting me, using me to satisfy his sick needs. Please wake up, Sam. Please... I don't want to feel him inside me again..._

Like a cornered animal, Alicia's eyes glanced around in every direction, searching for an avenue of escape. She inched her body out from underneath Ganondorf's. Before she could get very far, his large hand twitched with life. Alicia froze in place, her heart racing. Groans escaped his lips as he rose off of her body.

"Where am I...?"

Alicia's eyes widened. Never before had she heard him utter English, outside of the lessons she gave to Ganondorf, and with little fluency. His voice no longer brimmed with seething contempt; although still the same deep baritone, his voice softened. The terrible, sickly yellow glow that emanated from his right eye before disappeared, leaving only a normal eye with a golden iris in its place.

Something had changed within her captor. He cradled his head in his right hand as he squinted his eyes in the darkness. Alicia glanced back up at him, confused by the events unfolding before her. When his eyes met hers, she let out a frightened gasp.

"...Ali? Is that you?"

Alicia looked up into the face of her captor with a bewildered expression. Like puppets with their strings cut, she heard the sound of bones collapsing onto the ground. She squirmed and inched away from him, covering her bare breasts with her arms and knees.

"Sam?"

She blinked in utter disbelief.

 _Oh my God..._

The world around Samson drifted in and out of focus. A thick haze blanketed his thoughts, and he found himself unable to focus. He rose up onto his knees, only to smack his head against the ceiling. Samson jerked his head away and rubbed the back of his head.

Cold, damp air scratched his throat, sending him into fits of coughing. When he looked down, he found himself face to face with his wife. Her blue eyes peered back at his own, full of confusion and terror. As clarity slowly returned to him, he noticed Alicia's disrobed form beneath him.

"Is it really you, Sam? Have you come back to me?"

Alicia lifted her right hand to touch Samson's cheek. Her fingers shrank at the texture of his skin, the very same skin belonging to the monster that had violated her the night before. Yet the sickening feeling, the overwhelming malevolence that radiated from this man vanished. She gazed into those eyes, and began to cry.

Samson shook his head and blinked in confusion at her behavior. Between his wife's behavior and the sensation of a thousand wasps stinging his skull, he did not know what to make of the situation he found himself. His body felt strange and foreign to him, and the catacombs around them seemed small, cramped, and claustrophobic.

"Ali, what is going on? I—"

Samson froze. He did not recognize his voice, as if another person spoke his words. Samson lifted his hands and held them in front of his face, staring down at the darkened skin that covered his form. His gaze traveled down his arms and bare torso, studying the immense brawn his altered body now possessed.

 _What the—_

"Sam..."

He looked down at her, his eyes filled with confusion. Alicia, on the verge of tears, could do nothing but gaze back at him with a solemn, apologetic expression of her own. Samson's eyes widened as he studied the bruises that covered her face and upper body. Despite the anger he still felt toward his wife, the sight of her injuries made his blood boil. He pulled himself off of her, allowing Alicia the freedom to move.

She pushed herself away from him and toward the wall. Goosebumps ran down every inch of her skin, shivering from the cold air. Samson, too, found himself unable to resist the freezing temperatures of the catacombs. Alicia looked back toward her husband with concern.

"Sam, I—"

He held his hand up.

"Whatever you have to tell me, it can wait until after we both get dressed."

* * *

 _What have I been doing this whole time?_

Samson shook his head as he clasped the clawed gauntlet to his arm, uncomfortable with his attire. Anger boiled within him—not at Alicia, but at the situation he found himself in. From the moment the light touched him to now, nothing existed in his memory but a gaping void. Vague images and feelings haunted him from the abyss: of being overcome by sheer hatred and malice, of two otherworldly people he knew nothing about, and of telling his wife and child to flee from him as he fought for control of his body.

One question forced its way into the forefront of his thoughts, one that he demanded an answer to.

"Alicia, why didn't you run away?"

Above the couple, thunder boomed in the skies above. Alicia said nothing as she poked her head up and looked around the area, searching for signs of life. Beyond the underground crypt she and Ganondorf hid inside, an old abandoned house with boarded windows greeted her eyes. Content that no one still lived within the ramshackle building, she motioned for Samson to follow.

"Let's talk in here."

Samson could not get used to the sheer height difference between himself and Alicia. He towered over her like a menacing giant, a prospect that brought him no comfort in his altered state. He watched her step toward the door, and gingerly tap it with her hands. She turned the knob, and the door opened. The two of them stepped inside, and with a loud creak, she closed the door behind them.

Fading sunlight shone into what had once served as a living room. Dust covered every inch of the furniture that still remained, which tickled his nose. It lingered in the air, and he could taste it as he took in a deep breath. He studied the broken chairs and the sofas of the room, and seeing no other option, he took a seat on the floor, brushing his hair away from his shoulders.

"It was like this when we got here," Alicia explained, "We... had intended to hide out in here, but Ganondorf wasn't content with staying out in the open like this, so he made me sleep down there with his monsters..."

Samson closed his eyes. Hazy visages stabbed at his mind: of dragging Alicia through a dark forest, of tossing her down into the crypt, and of the howling demonic laughter of monsters summoned by otherworldly power.

"That... doesn't explain why I woke up beside you... naked." He opened his eyes and narrowed his gaze at her. "What did he do to you? What did _I_ do to you?"

Uncomfortable silence filled the musty air. Alicia looked away, tears streaming from her eyes. She didn't have to say anything to him, for he knew the truth. He could see the bruises that covered her face and arms; her clothes concealed the others that dotted her skin. Like hazy phantoms, the visage of his wife, screaming as he groped every inch of her body, filled his mind. His gaze shifted to the gauntleted hands on his arm in disgust.

"That wasn't you!" Alicia blurted out, "That was the monster that had possessed you. This is all Ganondorf's fault, not yours! You're back now. Everything is going to be okay..."

Samson snorted, sensing the desperation in her words. He wanted to believe her, that the evil that had infested his being had vanished from him. As he closed his eyes, he sensed dark, vile energy running through him. Feelings of hatred and disgust lingered at the edge of his mind. He shook his head.

"Look at me, Alicia. Look at what that horrible light has done to me. I've become a monster..."

Samson turned away from her.

"I couldn't stop him. I couldn't stop his hatred from consuming me, from casting me into darkness. I couldn't keep him from hurting you, and hurting everyone around us. I'm a danger to you, and to Emily. You should've ran away while you still had the chance."

Alicia shook her head and walked toward him. She held out her left hand, the wedding ring on her finger shimmering in the fading daylight.

"When I took my vows on that altar 14 years ago, I meant what I said. 'Until death do us part'... regardless if you still have any feelings for me at this point, my daughter needs her father. Emily still needs you, Samson Blackwell. Don't you forget about us, your family..."

The thought of Emily sent Samson on the verge of tears. He remembered her sad face when he brought her home from school that fateful day. Closing his eyes, he recalled her laughter. The image of her smile and her excitement brought a smile to his face.

"Let's get away from here, from this madness. We can start a new life elsewhere. No one will know what happened here..."

Alicia brushed her fingers across Samson's cheek. She looked into his left eye, the only remaining part of him that resembled his original form. Samson shook his head at her, the futility of her suggestion more than apparent.

"We can grab Emily, move to Vegas... Maybe open a pawn shop, start a new business..."

"Alicia..."

* * *

 _Ganondorf roared in fury. He tumbled into the darkness, his body frozen and immobile. At the edge of his awareness, a wall of light separated his will from another. On the back of his right hand, the Triforce of Power's glimmered. Cracks ran down his crystallized form._

 _Like a broken mirror, shards scattered around him. He flew toward the wall of light, seething in anger. On the other side, he saw the light shining on another soul. Ganondorf recognized the stubbled face of the being on the other side all too well. As Samson's soft voice spoke out from beyond the wall of light, Ganondorf's fist collided with the wall._

 _Fueled by unholy strength, he tore at the wall, eager to murder the being on the other side. The wall of light began to crack and falter under the force of his blows. His screams of anger echoed throughout the darkness as the light seized him. Although its power threatened to paralyze him, he gathered his will and resisted the influence._

You think you can contain **me**?

 _Streams of light burst away from him, like broken chains and cuffs. Despite the burning energy that assaulted his fingers, he gritted his teeth and pulled at the wall of light with every ounce of his might. Ganondorf crossed the boundary to the other side, where he came face to face with the very soul that sat beside his own, the source of the Terran essence that flowed through him without restraint._

* * *

Samson reeled backwards. He clutched his head in pain, his mind assaulted by enmity and rage. Alicia screamed as she held onto his large body for dear life.

"Sam?" She called out, "Sam, what's wrong? What's happening to you?"

When Samson failed to respond, she shook his body.

"Oh God no..."

Samson squeezed his eyes shut. Black and crimson energy radiated from his body. That terrible malevolence, that sensation of pure evil, filled the air. Goosebumps ran across her skin as she backed away from him, horrified of the scene unfolding before her very eyes.

She cried out at the top of her lungs, in hopes of reaching out to him...

* * *

 _Samson fell into the dark void. He crashed onto the icy ground, his awareness torn between the bleak reality and the hazy, ephemeral landscape around him. Echoes of Alicia's voice rang out in the abyss._

 _"Sam! Sam, wake up! Sam, please don't leave me..."_

 _Pounding footsteps tore through the air. Before Samson could react, he felt a hand grab his throat. He opened his eyes, and gazed down into the rage-filled amber eyes of Ganondorf. His hands struggled to tear his hand away from. Ganondorf hoisted Samson into the air, staring into Samson's gray eyes with murderous intent._

 _Ganondorf tightened his grip around Samson's neck, and held his face close to his own._

 _ **"You."**_

 _The glow of the Triforce of Power intensified. As Samson struggled to break free from Ganondorf's grip, a warm sensation spread across the back of his right hand. Strength filled every part of Samson's body. Ganondorf looked at the back of Samson's right hand._

What is this?

 _Fueled by untold strength, Samson began to pry Ganondorf's hand away from his throat. Ganondorf tossed Samson across the mist. Samson coughed as he rushed himself to his feet. He held the back of his right hand in front of his face, staring at the mark of the Triforce of Power that branded his skin._

 _ **"Sam!"**_

 _The sound of Alicia's voice calling out to him from beyond the mist tore him from his confusion. Samson gritted his teeth. Ganondorf, on hearing Alicia's voice, looked down at him and clenched his fist. Dark energy gathered in his hand, spreading outward in two directions. Moments later, a trident took shape._

 _Samson's eyes widened. With a war cry, Ganondorf hurled the trident at Samson. The force of the trident stabbing through his flesh sent Samson flying. Samson screamed in pain. His body skidded against the cold, icy ground of the mists before coming to a full stop._

 _He writhed on the ground, struggling to breathe. He coughed up blood on the ground. For a brief moment, Ganondorf smirked in satisfaction at the man's pain and suffering. Light pulsed all throughout Samson's body as a pool of blood formed beneath him. It resonated between the two of them like an echo. Without warning, Ganondorf felt stabbing pain erupt in his chest._

 _As he descended into agonizing coughing fits of his own, he looked down at his hands. Seeing his own blood stain his gauntlets, Ganondorf collapsed onto the ground. Between heaving, labored breaths, he lifted his head to gaze at the trident in Samson's body. With a thought, the trident dissolved into a shadowy mist._

 _Warmth traveled through Samson's body. He lifted his head to gaze at the holes in his chest, only to watch the wounds close before his very eyes. His breathing stabilized, and moments later, his wounds had fully healed; the bloodstains that covered his clothing and skin, along with his torn shirt, remained the sole reminders of the damage inflicted._

Oh God, what is this? What's happened to me?

 _Samson sat up, surveying the miraculous recovery of his body. Intense warmth permeated his right hand. He shifted his gaze toward the brand of the Triforce of Power. Shaking his head, he shifted his gaze back toward Ganondorf; his right hand, too, glowed with the same mark. The sight of their shared brand sent chills down his spine._

 _Ganondorf looked down at Samson—not out of hatred and disgust, but out of perturbedness and sheer annoyance._

I see now. Entwining our lives together in such a manner... Clever.

 _Ganondorf looked toward the wall of light. The hole he created had begun to shrink. He looked back at Samson with disgust before turning to face him._

Regardless...

 _He walked toward Samson in a swift, brisk pace. Samson reeled as Ganondorf drug him off the ground. He walked toward the wall of light. As the hole separating light and darkness grew smaller and smaller, he shoved Samson's body through hole._

 _Energy cracked and sizzled around them, streaming from Samson's body to Ganondorf's. His screams brought a smile to Ganondorf's face. He looked his counterpart in the eye. Despite the heavy amount of concentration, he opened his mouth to utter two words:_

 _"Get out."_

 _When the last streams of energy left Samson's body, he fell onto the other side of the wall. He plummeted into the darkness. Awareness faded into oblivion as his became encased in frozen crystal. The hole in the wall vanished as the void fell away._

 _As he stepped away from the wall of light, the hazy world around Ganondorf faded away._

* * *

Alicia quivered where she stood. She watched as Samson's body went limp. For several minutes, she had watched him, his slow, shallow breaths the only signs of life within him. Nausea welled in the pit of her stomach, and she found herself backing away from his body. Tears streamed down her face as she held her hand over her mouth.

"Sam..."

Without warning, his eyes snapped open. A glowing right eye stared into her own with burning anger. Before she could react, he backhanded her across her face. Alicia fell onto her side, nursing the blood that now dripped from the open wound on her lips.

 _No... please no... Please God, tell me this isn't happening!_

She looked up, not at the husband she spoke to moments ago, but at the monster that had taken hold of him once again. His face contorted into rage. The pounding of Ganondorf's footsteps rang in her ears. He grabbed her arm, and held her in front of his face.

 _«I know what you've done...»_

Ganondorf's voice boomed in every corner of her mind. Alicia sobbed and held her arms in front of her. Ganondorf's lips curled up into a smirk.

 _«...He must be very important to you to have gone to such lengths to call out to him.»_

As Alicia dangled in front of him, he glanced down at a shining object on her left hand. On closer inspection, he found a silver band, encrusted with a small diamond, on her left finger. He chuckled at the revelation that dawned on him.

 _«So you are lovers... how delightful.»_

Black and crimson energy radiated from Ganondorf's body. Alicia could do nothing more than whimper as he held her chin up to his face.

* * *

 **7:00PM, Pleasant Grove Township**

All throughout the town, men, women, children, and families hurried into their homes. They locked the doors behind them, shut their blinds, and turned their lights off. Kelly knew the looks on the faces of the townspeople all too well.

 _It's like they've seen a ghost..._

He empathized with their plight. Throughout the day, many had drove far away from the area; for some, the change consisted of driving out of town. Others had moving trucks with them, and with faces full of panic, packed their furniture and belongings inside them as quickly as they could before another night descended on the town.

Even as fellow police officers barricaded the area, it brought little comfort to the already disturbed and terrified residents of the community. Kelly unscrewed the lid of his thermos and drank the bitter coffee within. The flashing blue lights and the search lights of helicopters above illuminated the dark, gravel roads that made up much of the town.

Goosebumps ran down his spine. The hairs on the back of his skin stood on end. Something dark and terrible filled the air, putting him on edge.

 _This feeling... it's just like the hospital and the graveyard... No, it's worse than that..._

The sound of a woman's bone-chilling screams filled the air. Kelly looked off toward the direction of the sound. Inhuman snarls followed. With utmost urgency, he raced toward his partner's car. Police sirens blared into the night as the squads around them sped off in search of the noise. As the screams grew louder, he turned toward an abandoned home near a crypt.

One by one, the police cars surrounded the home. Men and women in uniform burst out of their vehicles, pointing their guns at the building. Kelly and Brenner stood in the ring of officers. Van Buren stepped out of her squad car and held a megaphone to her lips.

"This is the police! We have you surrounded!"

Floodlights illuminated the abandoned home. Roars echoed from the crypt and the woods surrounding the home. One by one, skeletons, humanoid lizards, and porcine monstrosities emerged from the darkness. They surrounded the home, their fangs and blackened weapons bared.

Kelly's heart pounded in his chest. He looked toward his partner, who could not stop sweating. Never before had he felt so afraid before. Every thought in his mind turned toward running away; instead, he narrowed his eyes and held his gun level toward the doorway.

Shadows danced around the home. Cracks formed on the walls. Without warning, the house collapsed before their eyes. Kelly and Brenner shielded their eyes from the dust and debris flying through the air. As the dust settled around them, Kelly's eyes widened at the figures before him.

Above, floodlights from the helicopters above focused on the epicenter of the ruined home. Standing in the rubble, surrounded by the horde of monsters, the face of Alicia Blackwell sobbed uncontrollably, dangling from her right arm by a clawed, golden gauntlet. Her disheveled blonde hair clung to the sides of her face, while puffy blue eyes stared down at the officers in sheer terror. A torn dress clothed her body, while bare feet trembled before the mass of eyes on her.

Kelly stared into the face of her captor. His right eye, burning with an unholy yellow light, gazed back at his own with contempt and boredom. Wild, red hair flailed in the wind. As Kelly furthered studied the man's features, he recalled the words of both the guard at the hospital, and that of Emily Blackwell's statement.

 _"...This giant shadow rises from the rubble. He had this long, wild, flaming red hair, small pointed ears, and this topaz jewel on his forehead. His skin was dark, almost as black as the armor he was wearing. He had this hawkish nose, and this nasty scowl on his face..."_

 _"...He was terrifying to look at. He had this long, fiery red hair that came all the way down his back, and this gleaming yellow gem on his forehead. He had these small, pointed ears, his skin was dark, and he had these shadows around his eyes. The armor he was wearing was completely black, with these yellow gems embedded on them, and these bits of cloth with red and blue lines around his chest, arms, and shins. His arms were covered in these jagged golden metal gloves..."_

 _"...God, he had to have been at least seven feet tall, maybe more than that..."_

 _It's just like they said..._

"Hold your fire!" Kelly shouted.

He shifted his gaze away from the shadowy figure of Ganondorf, and toward the terrified, sobbing woman in his grasp. Frantic sobs filled the air, overwhelming even the sounds of the monsters that surrounded her. The figure dropped her onto the ground, and stepped toward them.

 **"Freeze!"**

Undeterred by their commands, he smirked at the police officers on the other side of the wall of monsters. Time slowed to a crawl. Alicia's eyes widened. She held out her hand toward the officers. Gunshots rang in the air.

"No! Don't shoot!"

Alicia watched the bullets pierce Ganondorf's armor. Her thoughts turned toward her husband. The visage of his gray eyes and short brown hair filled her mind. She envisioned herself on her wedding day, kissing him as they exchanged their vows at an altar.

 _Sam..._

Tearing herself away from her reverie, she stared at Ganondorf. Before her very eyes, the gunshot wounds regenerated, until not a trace of the damage remained. Darkness enshrouded him, and soon afterward, the damage to his armor disappeared as well. Alicia scrambled onto her feet and stood between Ganondorf and the wall of monsters.

"Please! **Don't kill my husband!** "

For a brief moment, the gunfire stopped. Ganondorf shoved her out of the way. She sobbed and reached her arms out toward him. Kelly paused, his mind reeling at the revelation.

 _That's Samson Blackwell?... Jesus fucking Christ..._

From behind the police officers, SWAT teams pulled up to the scene. Unimpressed by the display in front of him, Ganondorf crossed his arms over his chest.

"Are you... the... Hero?" Ganondorf asked.

Kelly turned toward his partner. Brenner returned a confused expression.

"What is he talking about?"

Moments passed. Ganondorf raised a dismissive right hand in front of him. The monsters snarled, spurred on by the signal from their master. One by one, the monsters broke formation and charged the police officers. More gunshots rang in the air. Shadowy blades tore through skin and bone, while bullets pierced bulbous flesh and armor-like scales.

Kelly aimed his gun at a lizard monster. As it charged at Brenner, he pulled the trigger and gazed into the hole that bore right between the creature's eyes. It fell onto the ground. Brenner grabbed Kelly's arm and pulled him away. The SWAT teams charged behind them.

Grenades flew through the air. The detectives looked away. A blinding flash of light pierced the darkness. The beast held their clawed arms in front of their faces. Tear gas filled the air. The monsters clawed at their eyes, their skin and eyes burning from the assault.

Alicia screamed, unable to stop the burning sensation that spread across her body. Ganondorf covered his mouth. Wracked by the burning sensation spreading across his face and eyes, he roared in anger. Alicia squeezed her eyes shut as screams, human and otherwise, filled the night air.

 _Sam... It hurts... Please, help me..._

Ganondorf snarled. Fighting the painful sensations spreading all across his exposed skin, he drew on the dark magic coursing through him. He levitated into the air, while an orb of red and black energy formed in the palm of his right hand. Moments later, a trident manifested in his hand.

Bolts of lightning surged through the trident. He flung the trident at the ground. An explosion of energy followed, sending everything and everyone flying through the air. Kelly screamed as he skid across the ground. Relentless agony coursed through every part of his body. He squeezed his eyes shut as a deep, booming voice echoed in his mind.

 _«I am Ganondorf, the Demon King. All shall bow before me.»_

Kelly turned his head. The world dipped in and out of focus. Concentrating, he saw blood splatter on the side of a police squad car. He traced the dark, crimson stains along the ground, until he gazed on a gruesome sight. Human body parts laid scattered across the ground. Despite the pain, he squinted his eyes until the painful realization hit him.

"Kyle..."

Human screams shifted into inhuman shrieks. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as the monsters, more numerous than ever, marched toward the town. As the world darkened around him, he could nothing to stop the town of Pleasant Grove being consumed by fire and darkness. Darkness consumed him, and he knew no more.

Ganondorf's feet touched the gravel road with a clank. Alicia rubbed her eyes, fighting the burning tears that forced their way out of her. Ganondorf, too, resisted the effects of the tear gas as he approached her. Off in the distance, Ganondorf spotted more sirens in the darkness. He furrowed his brow in annoyance.

 _It seems I have disturbed the hornet's nest. No matter. There will be plenty of opportunity to swat away troublesome insects later._

 _«Get up. We are leaving.»_

Alicia whimpered as Ganondorf scooped her up off the ground. Darkness surrounded the two of them. As they vanished into the shadows, smoke and ash filled the air. Buildings smoldered in the night, while panicked families raced to escape the conflagration. The world faded into the darkness.

 _«Now, let us head elsewhere. Some place more... befitting my tastes...»_


	9. Divine Providence

**Soulbound**

Chapter V - Zelda: Divine Providence

 **California, United States - Marin General Hospital  
March 3, 2016 CE (5 Eldin, 1437 HCE Hyrulean Reckoning)  
6:00AM**

 _Ruins laid before Charles' eyes. Skulls and bones littered the desolate landscape. Tank treads plowed through the ground, crushing the remains under their weight. Soldiers raced through the defiled earth. They charged at the hordes of monstrosities. He recognized the creatures that fought back._

Moblins? Lizalfos?

 _Grenades, gunshots and explosions tore through the air. Moblins, armed with spears and rifles, charged through the infantrymen. In a spectacle of fire and blood, the human army fired back. The screech of fighter jets and the whirling of attack helicopters filled the darkened red skies above. They flew above the battlefield, driving the monsters back in a hail of missiles and gunfire._

 _Crimson drenched the earth. As the monsters fell before their superior weapons, the humans cheered and roared. The light of victory hung in the air... until the thunderous groaning of the earth dashed all hope. A shadow loomed over the soldiers. One by one, they looked up toward the sky._

 _"There he is! The devil himself!"_

 _"Well, what are you standing around for? Attack!"_

«No... Please stop this! Stop this madness at once! You cannot fight the Demon King!»

Huh?

 _The terrified voice of a woman echoed through the air. Charles, too, felt his stomach churn at the bloodshed. Before his very eyes, he watched as the hordes of dead and dying monsters rose back onto their feet. A maddened cacophony of screeches, wails, and howls followed. The monsters charged forward, their strength renewed by lingering shadow._

Oh God...

 _Two voices—a deep, booming voice, and a soft tenor—laughed in unison. Glowing yellow eyes pierced the darkness. Hooves pounded against the quaking earth. A large, pig-like snout, stained red with blood, sniffed the air. With a roar, the gargantuan demon charged at the human, tusks bared. A trident, gleaming with black and crimson energy, flew into the skies. Like bolts of lightning, energy surged through the trident and into the heavens. Planes and helicopters exploded, plummeting toward the earth below._

 _Tanks blasted the monsters with artillery shells. Robed demons manifested around them, gathering energy into their clawed fingertips. Energy surged from their hands, and the tanks exploded into balls of flame. Charles' eyes widened at the spectacle._

Wizzrobes now, too?

«You know of Ganon's demons?»

 _The woman's voice called out. Charles looked around, searching for the source of the noise. He glanced over his shoulder, sensing the presence of another. Shivers traveled down his body._

 _A phantom stood behind him. The white opera gloves, the golden shoulder-plates, the ornate white and purple dress... he recognized those clothes all too well. Charles turned around, and found himself staring face-to-face with a person that didn't exist. He backed away, shaking his head at the sight of her._

Is that who I think it is?

 _Zelda, too, blinked at the sight of the strange man before her eyes. She stepped closer to him and held out her hand._

«Who might you be...?»

 _Like a thousand ants crawling in his skull, Charles reeled, clutching his forehead in discomfort. Something dug into his mind, searching for answers. Frightened by the sensations overwhelming him, he held his palm out in front of him._

No! Get out! Get out of my head!

 _The ground crumbled beneath their feet. Rays of white light shot out from the under the ground, blanketing all awareness of the world. Charles and Zelda screamed as the light pushed them in opposite directions from one another..._

* * *

Charles bolted forward. His heart raced. In between gulps of air, he glanced around the cold, drafty hospital room. All around him, bedding and blankets remained strewn about the bed and floor. He clenched his head, shaking the terrible nightmare out of his memory.

 _What the hell was that?_

He grabbed the thin sheets and wrapped them around his body. Fading moonlight shone through the windows. He glanced at the clock, and cursed to himself. With a sigh, he placed his head back on the pillow and closed his eyes. Charles ran his slender fingers down the seam of the blanket.

 _I was... me again, even if it was just a nightmare. Will I ever be... normal again? Is there any way to rid myself of the Aberrancy?_

A yawn escaped his lips.

 _I suppose... I will just have to wait a bit longer. I just hope Dad doesn't drop in for a surprise visit. Not right now, anyway..._

* * *

 _Darkness surrounded Zelda. She focused inward, honing her mind's eye. Even as the light tried to draw her back into oblivion, her mind reeled at the dream. Deep within her frozen form, she wanted to weep for the people of this new world._

I pray that whatever omen visited me last night never comes to fruition. These people are wise and knowledgeable, with technology far beyond our own... but the Demon King has the Triforce of Power.

 _Images of that fateful battle filled her mind- of Ganondorf and Link clashing swords. Of watching and praying to the gods for a miracle. Of the torment of being torn apart... and put back together again, completely wrong._

Ganondorf... If I have survived the shift between worlds, then...

 _Zelda shifted her thoughts away from Ganondorf, and toward the brown-haired stranger she encountered in the dream. She heard his thoughts, as if they belonged to her. She felt his fear and surprise at her mere existence. As she focused on his image, a realization came to her—the man from her dream and the mind tied to her own were one and the same. When the dream fell away, a name entered her thoughts._

Charles... his name is Charles. Charles Alastair Victoria...

 _Pain lashed at her thoughts. The light's pull intensified. Even as she steeled her will, she did not know how much longer she could last. Her focus waned. As oblivion blanketed her once more, her thoughts turned to Link._

Link... I pray that you're safe, where ever you are. Please come back to me... Hyrule needs you. This world... needs... you...

* * *

 **March 4, 2016 CE (5 Eldin, 1437 HCE Hyrulean Reckoning)  
10:00AM**

"The FAA is still investigating the cause of United Flight 791's crash into the Caribbean Sea. So far, the Coast Guard has recovered the black box from the wreckage of the plane, which was still emitting a distress signal. The death toll in the crash is so far estimated to be at least 400 people, but as more bodies are being discovered among the wreckage, that number could climb as high as 500. We had a chance to speak with the lone survivor of the crash, a flight attendant who was found floating in the wreckage."

Charles watched the television screen, unable to tear his eyes away from it. His heart sank at the awful news. Although he could not put his finger on it, he felt drawn to the events. The scene changed to a woman in a white uniform. She spoke into the microphone as the anchor held it in front of her face.

"It was pure chaos. There were these flashes of light everywhere. All around us, everyone was turning into...those things...Aberrants? There was this one woman there, who tried to lead everyone to the cockpit. I tried to stop them, but I couldn't make it in time. This wall of light appeared. It chased them down the fuselage, twisting everyone that it touched. When I made it to the gallery before the cockpit, the woman was gone.

"Instead, I found this figure in green. He...he looked like Peter Pan or something. Had this long, pointy cap, a green tunic, as well as pointed ears. I remember that left eye of his, burning with that light. In all my years of working for the airline, I'd never seen anything like him before. When he reached out to me, he started speaking some weird language to me. That was when I ran away and tried to alert any of the other staff on board that hadn't succumbed to light. I heard him calling out to the other creatures on board, even as I fled.

"I remember a loud boom, followed by hurdling screech as the plane began to lose altitude. There was an explosion. I was sucked out of the plane. I landed in the water. It was cold... so terribly cold. I could hardly keep my head above water...the cold sapped away any strength I had. As the current began to pull me under, I saw that green-clothed man swim toward me. He pulled me up out of the water, and drug me onto a piece of wreckage. I heard him swim away as I came to. I... I never saw him again after that..."

As the image of the flight attendant burst into tears and continued her story, Charles' eyes widened. His heart sank further, mortified by the information presented on the screen.

 _Oh my God..._

Charles covered his mouth, stifling the gasp that escaped from his lips. His shaking right arm caved behind him. He fell onto his back, warmth spreading across his face. Something deep within him shattered to pieces.

 _Link was on that plane. He was the one who rescued that woman. Did he...die? Is he among the casualties...?_

Charles rubbed his cheek, wiping away the warm tears that ran down his face. As he succumbed to emotion, a strange sensation ran across the back of his right hand. Holding the back of his hand in front of him, the Triforce of Wisdom pulsed a soft, golden light. Before Charles could make sense, images invaded his mind:

A woman in a crystal. Two figures clashing swords. Thunder and lightning flashing above a dark, ruined castle. Streams of eerie white light enveloping the heavens. The shattering of windows. The three figures being pulled into a white void...

A loud knock echoed through the air. Charles squinted his eyes and shook his head. The glow of the Triforce of Wisdom faded away. He opened his eyes, dazed by the visions. The knocks grew louder. He held his hands up to his ears to drown out the intense noise. The door creaked open, and a nurse poked her head into the room.

"Mr. Victoria? You have a visitor."

On hearing those words, Charles felt his stomach churn. He had been dreading this since ever since awakening as an Aberrant. Shifting his gaze toward the television, he pushed the mute button. His arms shaking, he closed his eyes and motioned for the nurse to leave.

 _Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, my father shows up. God damn it all to hell!_

The door closed with a loud clang. Charles jumped in his bed, startled by the sound. He stepped onto the cold linoleum and toward the window, tugging at the white hospital gown on his body. Moments later, the door opened. The familiar clicking of leather shoes against linoleum, amplified by his heightened hearing, sent shivers down his spine. Charles dared not turn around to look at the figure that walked into the room.

"Son... Is that you?"

 _Father..._

His father's footsteps grew louder. Charles wanted nothing more than for the man to leave. He did not want him to see his altered form. Ashamed of his appearance, he avoided his father's gaze as he stepped toward his left side.

"Dear god... you look like a woman. What's happened to you, son? What did that light _do_ to you?"

Charles said nothing to his father. His arms shook, afraid of what his father might do now that he knew of his condition. Now more than ever, he also feared the rejection he knew would follow. Sadness filled his heart at the very thought.

" _Look_ at me when I'm _speaking_ to you!"

His angry tone reverberated throughout the room. The hairs on the back of Charles' neck stood on end. He turned to look at his father. When their eyes met, a gasp escaped his father's lips.

"Why are you here, Father?"

The low, saddened tone of a woman's voice sent shivers down his father's spine. Startled by his son's blue right eye, Charles' Father stepped back.

"I heard that you were brought here. The doctors said you had become an Aberrant. When we found out... your mother panicked. I kept on trying to tell her that you would be fine, but... I had no idea you were _like this_."

Charles looked away, unable to stomach his father's mortified expression any longer. Tension hung in the air. He did not know what to say to his father. Charles moved his right arm out of sight, unwilling to expose the mark of the Triforce to his father.

"Charles... I know I haven't been the best father, but you are the only one who can carry on the practice. I was set to retire next year so that you might inherit the business, but... seeing you the way you are now..."

 _Goddamn you..._

"I'll make this right, for you and the family. I'm going to see what strings I can pull to get you transferred to another hospital. Someplace better equipped to deal with your... _condition_."

At the sound of those words, Charles clenched his teeth in anger. The scathing disgust at the sight of the general hospital laced his father's every word. It took every ounce of willpower not to slap his father across the face. Before Charles could make a move, he heard the door to his room open.

"Until that happens... don't cause any more trouble. I don't want to hear about any more incidents of you sneaking out to speak with the other Aberrants. Stay the hell away from them. _Understand_?"

Without another word, Charles' Father closed the door behind him. Charles turned around behind him. Content that his father had left the area, he slammed his fist onto the windowsill. Tense with anger, he turned toward the television.

 _What am I going to do? I knew it was only a matter of time before my father came here. I feel like a sitting duck. He's going to lock me up in an insane asylum to "cure" me, I just know it..._

He looked toward the mark on his right hand.

 _How am I going to get out of this?_

* * *

 **March 6, 2016 CE (8 Eldin, 1437 HCE Hyrulean Reckoning)  
9:00AM**

"What do you remember of that night?"

Charles stared listlessly at the psychiatrist in front of him. The psychiatrist monitored his every move, taking down notes of his every action and reaction. More than anything, Charles wanted to leave this man's presence. Fidgeting on the sofa, he closed his eyes.

"I remember riding horses with my friend. I came there to get away from the city for a bit... to clear my head, you know?"

Through thick-rimmed glasses, the psychiatrist piercing stare bore into Charles' own. As Charles continued, he scribbled more notes onto his clipboard.

"We got there at around 3. I sat down with his family and had dinner with them. Then, my friend and I went to the stables to get the horses. After saddling them up, we rode around the ranch for a while. God, it was so nostalgic. That's when it started to get really dark of a sudden. This storm ripped through the skies. I remember shielding my eyes from the light... after that, nothing."

"I see. And what of the incident with the other patients? Do you remember going down into the lower hospital wings at all?"

Charles shook his head. He searched his memory, only to find nothing there- nothing else besides waking up in his bedroom with several orderlies stationed just outside his door. The sight had left him confused and frightened. Even now, orderlies awaited beyond the interview room, eager to return him to his room and lock him away, far away from the other Aberrants that now resided within the hospital.

His stomach churned. Goosebumps ran down his arms. Charles knew the stare the psychiatrist gave him- the stare of someone without empathy. The sheer apathy and disinterest in curing him emanated from the psychiatrist.

"So you remember nothing at all?"

Charles held a hand to his head. His concentration waned. Exhaustion and lethargy began to take hold of him.

"I've told you a hundred times now... I... don't... _remember!_ "

"Have you had any history of suffering blackouts like this before your... _accident_?"

With every ounce of his fading energy, Charles returned an incredulous look at the doctor before him.

"...I've never had... anything... _like_ this happen... to me... before. What do... what do... I have to do... to con...vince you that I'm... I'm not crazy? I...I don't know... anything... about accomp...panying anyone. I..."

A numbing sensation ran down Charles' right side. He tried to lift his arm. It refused to move or obey him. Unable to conceal his panic, he looked into the doctor's eyes. The psychiatrist, sending his distress, got up from his chair.

 _What is this? What's going on?_

The world shifted to darkness. Charles fell into the abyss. As oblivion consumed him, he spotted a feminine figure beyond a wall of light.

 _Who...? Who's there...?_

* * *

Darkness gave way to light as Zelda came to. Bright fluorescent lights blinded her. She held her hand in front of her eyes, squinting her eyes as she looked away. As her eyes adjusted, she gazed into the sterile white walls that made up the room. In front of her stood a man in a white coat. He stared back at her, alarmed by her presence.

"Where am I? How did I get here?"

The man shook his head, unable to understand her speech. She held a hand to her forehead, a terrible headache raging through her skull. Disoriented, she closed her eyes and focused inward.

Words echoed through the air, ones belonging to another language. She opened her eyes to gaze at the man as he hurriedly jotted notes down on a clipboard. The man lifted his head away from his clipboard and spoke once more. Out of the words that left his mouth, only one had any meaning to her—her name.

 _«Forgive me, I don't understand your words. Are you asking me my name?»_

The psychiatrist blinked, unable to fathom the telepathic exchange occurring between him and his patient. Her voice echoed within his mind, full of sadness. Zelda's right eye gazed back into his own, shimmering with an eerie light. An expression of dismay formed on her face.

 _«My name is Zelda. Are you the one in charge of this facility?»_

With shaking hands, the psychiatrist placed his clipboard on the ground. He motioned his hand toward a red button near his chair. Zelda raised her eyebrow and held her hand out toward the man.

 _«Please! I need to speak with whoever is in charge! This has all been a grievous misunderstanding!»_

The door to the room burst open. Two orderlies charged into the room. They each grabbed onto Zelda's arms. Mortified, she tugged and pulled away from them. Her pleading gaze bore into the man, whose disgust with her very presence lingered in the air.

 _«Why are you treating me this way? I have done nothing wrong! My people have done nothing to you! They are no different than you are! I beg you, please listen to me!»_

"Get him out of here," The psychiatrist commanded.

As Zelda struggled to escape their grip, she found herself forcibly dragged out of the room. She called out to the man with her thoughts to no avail. The orderlies marched her up the stairs and into her room. They threw her inside and slammed the door shut behind them. A clicking noise followed afterward.

She tugged on the door handle and pounded on the glass of the door. The men outside carried on, their faces perturbed and full of annoyance. Zelda turned away and walked toward the bed in the center of the room.

 _It's just like what happened with Father... except it's an entire people! The way that man looked at me... it was just like someone staring into the face of a monster. They are afraid of us. I fear for them... and what the Convergence will do to this world when it has run its course._

She sat down on the bed, eying her dress and gloves at the it's foot. A sigh escaped her lips. Her eyes glanced outside at the overcast skies beyond.

 _Link... I wish you were here. I miss you so much._

* * *

 **11:00PM**

Mist covered every inch of the landscape. Zelda closed her eyes and held out her right hand. The mark of the Triforce of Wisdom glowed on the back of her hand. She walked toward the wall of light, her dress parting the mists around her. Opening her eyes, she found herself bathed in a familiar white light.

The brilliant aura glimmered in every direction. Although the light's power embraced her, something caught her attention. With every breath she took in, she felt the light's brilliance weaken. At the hinges of that awareness, she felt a lingering presence mirroring her own. Her fingers graced the wall of light.

 _What is this?_

She squinted her eyes, gazing into the darkness beyond the wall. Beyond the wall of light, she made out a hazy form. As she concentrated further, the haze began to lift. When she gazed deeper at the form, she let out a gasp.

A crystallized statue of a man greeted her eyes. He held his arms in front of his face, as if reaching out toward the heavens. Despite his petrified state, she sensed a lifeforce within. At the foot of the statue, pinpricks of light streamed into the surface. She traced the stream of energy, only to find that it lead to her. Her eyes widened.

 _It's him... the figure from my dream the other night, but... why is he like this? What is the light doing to him?_

She pulled herself away, startled by the alien sensations that washed over her. The thread of light pulsed with energy, which surged toward the statue. Slowly, more pinpricks of light bled into the foot of the statue. Zelda felt her energy wane, as though a keese bled her lifeforce dry. At the cusp of that sensation came a revelation.

 _So... we are tethered. Like the cycle of the moon, our essences wax and wane, as does control of this vessel. Is that why he is frozen like that? Have I been frozen in much the same way this whole time...?_

Zelda shook her head, dismayed by the thought.

 _Charles... We must find a way to break this barrier. For your sake, and the sake of everyone in this world._

She closed her eyes and focused her thoughts.

 _«Charles... Can you hear me...?»_

Zelda called out into the darkness. She clasped her hands together in prayer, hoping that her voice reached the soul of the man imprisoned in crystal. Moments felt like an eternity. As she continued to pray, a man's voice groaned in the darkness.

 _«Who... Who's there? Who's calling me?»_

Before Zelda could respond, she found herself pulled from the white void...

* * *

Zelda awoke with a start. She glanced around the dimly lit room before turning her attention toward the camera in the corner of the room. She rubbed her temples, the sensation of ants crawling in her skull overwhelming her. Pursing her lips, she cursed herself for allowing the light to pull her away from Charles' crystallized spirit.

 _Charles..._

Resting her head back onto the pillow, she closed her eyes.

 _I won't give up, Charles. I will find a way to bridge the gap between our wills. I promise to make amends for all of this..._

* * *

 **March 8, 2016 CE (10 Eldin, 1437 HCE Hyrulean Reckoning)  
4:50PM**

Zelda rested her head onto her hand. She tapped the buttons on the remote, watching the images of the lit television screen with interest. Although she understood nothing the people on the screen said, she studied their body language and lip movements. A large, yellow bird puppet caught her attention. She lowered the remote and focused.

 _What is this?_

Other puppets, like himself, danced on a street beside human actors. Moments later, images of letters and numbers flashed on the screen. She raised her eyebrow.

 _Is this how they teach their language? Perhaps this might be interesting..._

For several minutes, she watched the program, amused by the blue puppet that devoured cookies. Although a part of her felt silly for watching it, she also felt as though it provided a breakthrough, a way into the strange world she and her people had fallen into. Her thoughts drifted elsewhere.

 _Charles..._

Without warning, the children's show cut away. In their place, white letters flashed on a red background. She raised her eyebrow, confused by the events unfolding on the screen. Two individuals, a man and a woman, spoke alien words. Their phantoms cut away. A series of helicopters flew over a circle of metallic, box-like vehicles. Red and blue lights flashed, while spotlights cast a light on an old, abandoned house.

 _What is going on?_

The house exploded. A woman's chilling screams ran through the television speakers. All around the home, Stalfos, Lizalfos, and Moblins emerged from the shadows, forming a barrier around the home. When the dust settled, two figures shown in a pair of spotlights- a terrified woman in a torn dress, and...

 _No..._

Ganondorf's shadowy form towered over the armed men and women huddled behind the vehicles. His right eye, gleaming with a demonic light, glared down at them. The woman screamed and shouted at them before standing between him, the monsters at his command, and the brave souls that stood before them. Although Zelda understood nothing anyone said, she knew all too well the scene unfolding on the screen.

Zelda screamed at the top of her lungs as absolute carnage flashed before her eyes. Cracking noises and monster snarls reverberated through the speakers. She watched their desperate struggle, hoping and praying for a miracle. Gas enveloped the area. The Lizalfos and the Moblins scratched and tore at their faces. Ganondorf, too, covered his mouth, his face contorted in pain, followed by unbridled rage. When he flew into the air and manifested the trident, Zelda covered her mouth as bolts of energy flashed on the screen. Men and women flew through the air, while a dark shield formed around Ganondorf and the woman beside him.

As his surviving monsters torched the town, Zelda's mind raced. Ganondorf, the Demon King, walked this world. The fear she felt for the people of this world deepened. She looked at the mark of the Triforce on her right hand.

 _I have to leave this place. He will come for me. I will not let him have the Triforce of Wisdom!_

Zelda darted out of bed and rushed toward the door. She glanced at the door, hoping that someone, anyone walked the hallway outside. She called out with her mind.

 _«Hello? Is anyone there? I must speak with the leader of this place! You are all in grave danger!»_

She watched as the everyone in the hospital stopped in their tracks, their faces frozen into expressions of horror. Some collapsed onto their knees, while others shielded their children from the images on the televisions screens all throughout the hospital. As Zelda cried out with her mind, a group of orderlies approached the door.

 _«Please, hear me! He will not stop until every last one of you is dead!»_

The orderlies unlocked the door and burst into the room. Startled, Zelda let out a gasp of horror as they drug her out of the room. She screamed at the top of her lungs. Before she could do anything to fight back, she felt something pierce her arm. She looked toward the right and watched an orderly pull a needle out of her arm. Fatigue overwhelmed her. She struggled to stay awake, to fight off the alien people that wanted to silence her.

 _«Please... don't...»_

Zelda's eyelids drooped. The world faded into black numbness.

* * *

 **11:45PM**

The world shifted in and out of focus as Zelda came to. Padded walls surrounded her. When she tried to move her arms, she found torso wrapped in a straight jacket. She could not move her arms. Taking in a deep breath, Zelda closed her eyes.

 _It seems I have no choice..._

A familiar warmth formed on the back of Zelda's right hand. All around her, the padded room faded into mist. The straight jacket vanished, and she found herself standing before the wall of light, her body restored to its original form. She held out her hand and called out into the darkness.

* * *

Charles' eyes fluttered open. A thick blanket of mist surrounded him, extending outward in every direction. He glanced down at his body, his original form restored. Before he could even begin to process the change, a voice called out to him in the darkness.

 _«Charles... Charles Alastair Victoria...»_

The woman's voice echoed in every direction, disorienting him. He glanced around the void, searching for any other signs of life. Footsteps clicked against the hard floor beneath the mist. Charles looked in front of him. From beyond the furthest edge of the mist, a figure of radiant light walked toward him.

 _What the hell is going on here?_

 _«I am Zelda, heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Hyrule. I have summoned you here because I need your help.»_

Charles found himself rooted in place, stunned by the presence before him. Up until now, this woman did not exist. He did not know what to think, or what to feel in that moment. Feeling a warm sensation on the back of his right hand, he held it out in front of him. The mark of the Triforce of Wisdom glowed in the ether. He glanced back at Zelda, who bore a matching mark on the back of a glowing hand.

 _«Is this real? Am I losing my mind?»_

 _«I assure you, you aren't going insane. This is a place that exists only in our dreams. It seems this is the only place where our wills intersect. I know not why. As for me... I am as real as you.»_

His eyes widened at her response. Her voice spoke in his mind. The sensation chilled him to his very core. Zelda paused, studying his startled expression.

 _«I understand your confusion. I promise I will do my best to explain, but there is little time. Charles... your world is in grave danger.»_

Charles gasped. She stopped just feet away from him. He squinted his eyes, blinded by her radiance. When he shifted his gaze toward his feet, he saw a stream of light flow between them. Zelda's voice called out once again, strained and desperate.

 _«The Convergence has bonded our souls together. Even now, it seeks to separate us once more. I do not know how much longer I can keep this place manifest. Once my energy has been spent, we will become divided, as we have been since that day...»_

 _«Convergence?»_

Shaking his head, he raised his eyebrow at Zelda. Confusion overwhelmed his thoughts. Zelda's voice reverberated throughout the void.

 _«It is said that there exists a force of light. It travels between worlds, binding them together... and then destroying them. That is the Convergence, Charles. Our worlds are merging, and once this merge is complete, your world will perish...»_

Weakness traveled through Charles' legs. They threatened to buckle underneath his weight. He stumbled backward, his heart racing and his arms shaking.

 _«Are... Are you serious?!»_

Zelda nodded her head.

 _«Furthermore, just as I have found my way here... so has the Demon King...»_

 _ **«What?!»**_

Charles' mind reeled. He looked at the radiant figure of light in front of him, searching for answers. Zelda stepped away from him.

 _«On that day, the world changed. When the light shone on us all, we were ripped from our bodies and torn through time and space. Now, we are strangers in a strange world, twisted by the Convergence...»_

Zelda turned around to face Charles once more.

 _«The Demon King will stop at nothing to reclaim the Triforce. He will destroy you and everyone here if he is not stopped.»_

She stepped toward him and held her hands toward him. The Triforce of Wisdom shone a gentle light in the darkness.

 _«Please help me find the Hero... before all is lost.»_

Charles found himself at a loss for words. The only Demon King he knew of existed within a video game. Now, the revelation that the very same Demon King now walked the Earth sent chills down his spine. Zelda closed her eyes as she held his hand in hers.

 _«If you know of my legend, then you understand what is at stake here.»_

 _«Well, that's great and all, and I mean no disrespect to you when I say this, Your Highness, but... there's a slight problem. My father wants to lock us up in an insane asylum. He's scared... scared of the Aberrants that were created by this 'Convergence'.»_

 _«Is that what your people call us? 'Aberrants'?»_

Charles frowned.

 _«They're scared of you. You guys have been all over the news. I think heard a report the other day about some Goron Aberrants that demolished several buildings just to feed themselves. To be honest, my people think you're body snatchers who have stolen their loved ones. Even my father doesn't want anything to do with me now that I've become...bonded to you like this.»_

 _«I see...»_

Zelda stumbled backwards. Cracks began to form in the void. Charles' eyes widened as he ran to Zelda's side.

 _«We must escape this place... before they imprison us. The Demon King will no doubt be looking for the Triforce of Wisdom. If he gets his hands on it... your world will never know peace.»_

 _«Tell me what you want me to do.»_

A smile formed on Zelda's lips.

 _«Then you will help me?»_

Charles nodded.

 _«It's not as if I have a choice, now do I? Besides, I would rather not spend the rest of my life locked up with crazy people.»_

 _«Thank you, Charles. I knew I could count on you.»_

Zelda's focus began to wane. The ground quaked beneath their feet. As Zelda fell onto her hands and knees, she reached up to him one last time.

 _«I will teach you... how to use magic, and the ways... of my people, but in return... you must teach me... the language of your people. It's the only way... we can bridge the gap... between our worlds...»_

 _«Alright. Anything else?»_

 _«We will... be in touch... Charles... Victoria...»_

The world shattered around them. Darkness consumed Charles' awareness. Numbing oblivion washed over every part of his consciousness. Before he faded completely, he watched the Zelda's radiant form vanish behind a wall of light.


	10. Dirge for the Zoran God

**Soulbound**

Chapter VI - Link: Dirge for the Zoran God

 **Hyrule, Lanayru Province - Zora's Domain  
62 Faron, 1437 HCE  
8:00AM**

 _Roars and howls echoed through the air. All around Link, frightened Zoras ran and swam away from the scene before them, as fast as their limbs could carry them. Swarms of bari rose out of the water, followed by octoroks and the putrid, skeletal remains of their warriors. Sizzling with electricity, the bari hissed while the Zoras held their fins and arms in front of them, bracing themselves for the worst._

 _A whirling noise pierced the air. Blood and gelatinous innards rained down on them. The Zora moved their hands away, and found the bifurcated remains of the monsters that threatened their lives, following by the speeding wooden shape. They traced the shape back to the familiar green-clad Hylian that had appeared in their domain just days ago. He caught the object—a boomerang—with his left hand, and turned his attention to the monsters that remained._

 _Enraged by his interference, the monsters shifted their attention away from their prey and onto Link. He narrowed his eyes at them as they charged toward him. Link flung the boomerang at the bari, their squeals ringing in his ears. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted rocks hurtling toward him. He held up the shield in his right hand. It smacked the shield with a loud thunk before falling into the water._

 _Loud shrieks erupted behind Link. Skeletal arms wrapped themselves around his neck. Link whirled around, and using the weight of his shield, slammed it against the Zora-turned-Stalfos. Bones and rotting flesh flew through the air. With his free hand, he ripped the wriggling arms off his body. He looked up at the wooden boomerang hurtling back toward him and ducked._

 _Turning around, Link watched the boomerang tear through the octoroks and Stalfos behind him. With a clamor, the boomerang collided with the cavern walls of Zora's Domain before falling into the water. He looked around at the monsters that still remained. Glancing over his shoulder, he gazed at the Zora citizens cowering at the monsters._

 _"Run!"_

 _Link planted his feet into the shallow waters around him. The splashing of fins and feet echoed through the cavern. The ground quaked beneath his feet. In the depths of the pool before him, a mass of amoeba-like tentacles broke the surface. Clasped within their arms, a whale-like creature screamed at the top of his lungs. Link's eyes widened at the sight._

Jabu-Jabu...

 _As tentacles constricted around Jabu-Jabu's form, a faint voice called out in Link's mind._

«Help... me...»

 _Link rushed toward the wall where his boomerang now rested. The monster smashed its tentacles all throughout Zora's Domain. Balconies and ledges crumbled and fell into the water. Statues of Zoran royalty collapsed into rubble and dust. A shadow loomed over Link, and when he looked up, he found a slab of rock hurtling toward him. He lept out of the way, and the slab fragmented into thousands of pieces._

 _Pushing himself back onto his feet, Link looked up at the translucent form of the monster. Link flung his boomerang toward the monster's tentacles. Shrieks of pain erupted from the monster. Jabu-Jabu's large form plummeted into the water, while the tentacles released their hold on him, dissolving into shadow. As Link smiled at Jabu-Jabu's newfound freedom, he looked back at the monster. His eyes widened as he watched the monster sprout new appendages in place of the ones he cut off the creature with his boomerang._

 _Jabu-Jabu swam away from the monster. Tentacles slammed into the ground around the pool of water, wrapping themselves around Jabu-Jabu's body once more. Wails of agony erupted from the whale-like creature's form, while screams echoed in Link's mind. As the tentacles constricted around Jabu-Jabu, others whipped around toward Link. He flipped out of the way and scanned the monster's body. Within its clear, amoebic form, a large fleshy core pulsed with black and crimson energy. Link put the boomerang back into the pouch at his side, and pulled out a mechanized hook._

Alright, Hookshot, here goes nothing...

 _Narrowing his eyes at the monster's core, he pointed the Hookshot toward it and fired. The clinking of metal chains rang throughout the cavern. Inside the monster's body, the core shot upwards. The hook pierced the monster's membrane. With a flick of a switch, Link tore the hook out of the monster and retracted the chain._

 _Behind him, the pattering of webbed feet against the ground tore him away from the battle at hand. Link glanced over his shoulder, and found himself staring into the worried faces of a Zoran woman and a large, rotund figure._

 _"Lord Jabu-Jabu!" the woman shouted._

 _"How could this happen? How in the world did this monster get into our domain, and why is it attacking Lord Jabu-Jabu...?"_

What are they doing? Ruto and her father should've escaped with the rest of their people! If they stay here, they're going to get killed!

 _"Princess Ruto! King Zora! You need to get out of here!"_

 _Tentacles surged toward the pair. Ruto collapsed onto the ground as a tentacle hoisted her into the air. It constricted around her body. She screamed at the top of her lungs._

 _"Link... help...!"_

 _King Zora looked up at his daughter, aghast at the events unfolding before him. He doubled backward, his cerulean cane falling onto the craggy ground with a clang. Before he could utter a word, the sight of Link rushing to Ruto's aid filled him with hope and dread._

 _Please, Goddesses... spare my daughter! Don't let this demon spawn take her from me..._

 _Link narrowed his eyes, focusing on the monster's glowing core. Its appendages writhed around it, obscuring his view. He held up his left arm again and aimed the Hookshot toward the core. A red laser beamed from the point of the weapon. When the light aligned with the core, Link fired the Hookshot at the core. The hook pierced the membrane and burrowed into the monster's heart._

 _Shrieks filled the cavern. Link retracted the chain and tore the core out of the monster. With a yank, he pulled the hook out of the core and drew the Master Sword from his back. It hummed with holy energy. He rushed toward the monster and jumped into the air. Link braced himself as he pointed the blade downward. The Master Sword impaled the pulsing heart of the monster._

 _White hot energy emitted from the blade, burning the festering flesh around it. Howls erupted from the monster's amorphous form. Ruto and Jabu-Jabu felt the tentacles release them from their grip. They plummeted back into the water. As the Master Sword rent the unholy life from the monster's core, it dissolved into nothing; only the charred remains of the core around the Master Sword stood in testament of the harrowing battle that took place within Zora's Domain._

 _Everyone within the cavern breathed a collective sigh of relief. King Zora himself exhaled, not realizing he had held his breath. Link withdrew the Master Sword from the ground. He rushed toward Ruto's side as her body floated toward the edge of the pool. Coughing fits erupted from her lips. She looked up at the Hero with a look of annoyance._

 _"Hmph... What took you so long?! You could've gotten Jabu-Jabu killed! Do you know how long it's going to take for us to rebuild Zora's Domain?! My ancestor's probably rolling around in her grave at the sight of this mess right now."_

 _Link looked down at her, unimpressed by her demeanor._

 _"What were you thinking?! You and your father could've gotten killed!"_

 _Ruto snorted._

 _"I-I was just worried about Lord Jabu-Jabu, that's all! If Ganondorf's monster had killed him..."_

 _Ruto felt herself blush slightly underneath her scales. Shaking his head, Link looked toward the pool beyond, not wanting to pursue the subject any further. Jabu-Jabu rose to the surface, a puff of air billowing from his blow hole. With large, twinkling blue eyes, he gazed at Link and Ruto. Without another word, she dove into the water and swam by his side, massaging his fins with her fingers._

 _"Lord Jabu-Jabu says thank you," Ruto said._

 _Link smiled at the two of them, content that no one had died today. He walked toward where the Master Sword remained planted into the ground, and pulled it out of the monster's charred remains. He sheathed his weapons, and returned the Hookshot to his pouch. As Ruto attended to Lord Jabu-Jabu, he turned toward King Zora. He shifted his gaze toward the crackled walls that lined Zora's Domain. The broken precipices, the demolished homes... the damage the monster had done to this place felt catastrophic._

 _Buried underneath rubble, he watched as the Zoras pulled their own from out of the wreckage, and attended to their injured and dying kin. Their cries of agony and groans of suffering made his heart sink. Closing his eyes, he cursed himself for allowing the monster to cause so much damage to Hyrule's allies._

How could I have been so careless? If only I had gotten here sooner, less people would be hurt...

 _He felt a scaled hand pat him on his right shoulder._

 _"Thank you for destroying the monster."_

 _Link glanced over his shoulder. King Zora looked at him with friendly eyes. The tone of his voice, soft and watery, carried an earnest sincerity._

 _"Please don't beat yourself up over this, Link. There was nothing you could have done differently. No one lost their lives today. Isn't that what matters in the end?"_

 _Link did not respond, his face an expressionless mask. King Zora slid his hand off Link's shoulder. Despite his girth, he hobbled toward the edge of the pool, his cerulean cane glimmering in the dim light. Link watched King Zora in silence, his thoughts elsewhere. As he turned to walk toward the open sunlight in the riverbanks beyond the cavern, Ruto's urgent tone stopped him in his tracks._

 _"Are you sure of this, my lord?"_

 _Ruto cocked her head to the side. Her shocked, bewildered eyes bore into the twinkling blues of the whale deity before her. As if answering an unseen summons, she nodded her head at Jabu-Jabu before turning toward Link. Link turned to look at her over his left shoulder. She waved at him, and he spun around to face her._

 _"Behind the throne, past a small eddy beyond the fountain, there is a treasure that has been passed down through the Zoran Royal Family. Lord Jabu-Jabu wants you to have it."_

 _Link raised his eyebrow at her._

 _"What sort of treasure?"_

 _"It is said that eons ago, when the Hero of Time returned to Hyrule, he visited my ancestors and gave them a special mask. They say it has the power to alter your shape, and that if you wear it, you will become a Zora yourself. Whatever the case, Lord Jabu-Jabu thinks it would be off in your possession."_

 _He cocked his head at her, confused by Jabu-Jabu's stipulation. It felt wrong to him, to take a treasure that Ruto and her family have guarded for so long without giving something back in return. The lack of action on his part made Ruto groan._

 _"Well, don't just stand there! Go find it! Take it respectfully!"_

 _As Ruto pointed toward the throne in the deepest part of Zora's Domain, Link ran as fast as his legs could carry him. He waded through the waters of the fountain that fed the river beyond. He glanced behind the latticed metal that made up the throne, and rushed behind it. Cold water sprayed the air behind him, while bright sunlight invaded his eyes. He squinted his eyes, while holding his arms in front of him to block out the intense light._

 _Link's eyes scanned the perimeter of the fountain. Off into the distance, nestled behind a set of stalagmites emerging beneath the water, he found the entrance to a cave. He dove into the water and swam toward the cave. Dim lights, emitted by crystalline shells, served as the only source of light within as Link's boots sloshed through the water. Several minutes later, he found himself facing a small whirlpool, surrounded by jagged stalagmites and stalactites._

 _Off into the distance, he spotted the familiar glow of the crystalline shells that illuminated the area. He sidled along a thin ledge, and made his way to the other side. As ventured further into the deepest recesses of the cavern, he came upon a silver plaque, which bore the emblem of the Zoran Royal Family. Below it, a small lockbox, covered in copious amounts of dust and cobwebs, sat undisturbed. Link brushed the dust away, and opened the box._

 _A polished mask gleamed in the dim light. Unlike the lockbox that contained it, the mask looked pristine. A plain, Zoran face peered back at him from the mask's surface. Somewhere deep inside his heart, he felt a strange familiarity toward the mask, as though he held it long ago. Link shook his head, burying the sense of déjà vu simmering in the back of his mind. He placed the mask into his pouch and retraced his steps out of the cavern..._

* * *

 **Caribbean Sea  
March 11, 2016 CE (13 Eldin, 1437 HCE Hyrulean Reckoning)  
Early Night**

Moonlight pierced the dark depths of the sea. All around him, forests of kelp swayed in the currents of water. Fish of every size and coloration imaginable gathered along the rocks and the coral reefs, searching for food. Colonies of plankton floated in the water, casting the sea depths in a starry glow. For a moment, Link stopped in his tracks, his curiosity piqued.

 _Amazing... I've never seen anything like this before in my life..._

He looked down at his scaled fingers. Images of the burning plane, and the crazed hybrids being born from the light that ensnared them, filled his thoughts. For days, he swam this boundless sea, and yet he had not encountered any other Zora. Guilt welled inside his heart, while the faces of the dead hybrids haunted them. Behind those lifeless faces, he pictured Zelda, screaming into the void and disappearing into white.

 _I know Ruto said this mask could turn you into a Zora, but... this wasn't how I wanted to find out. As beautiful as this place is, I have to get out of here. Zelda is out there somewhere, I know it. I can't leave her alone like this, she could be in grave danger—her and any others that made their way into this world. I don't know how much time I have before I blackout again._

Tearing himself away from his thoughts, he swam through the dark waters, his determination renewed. From behind the membranes that shielded his eyes from the salt water, hundreds of thousands of fish and eels swam away. Link gazed out at them. Malevolence lurked in the water, sending tremors down his scaled flesh. He narrowed his eyes and braced himself.

Glowing yellow eyes, narrowed into slights, peered back at him from the darkness. A set of jagged, pointed teeth shimmered in the fading glow of the plankton. Link barrelled out of the way, his eyes fixed on the shadowy monstrosities before him. The pointed snout, the shark-like fins... he knew these creatures.

 _ **Gyorgs?**_ _What are they_ _ **doing**_ _here?_

The gyorgs rushed toward him, eager to sink their teeth into their prey. As if by instinct, Link felt the fins on his forearms harden, until they resembled blade-like protrusions. He narrowed his eyes at the monsters. They opened their jaws wide. He swept himself off to the side and slashed at their thick, scaly hides. Their screams traveled through the water, sending shivers down Link's spine.

Memories invaded Link's mind—of playing a song before a dying Zora, of travelling through the depths of a bay, of rescuing eggs from hungry sea serpents and Gerudo pirates.

 _What..._ _ **is**_ _... this...?_

The feeling of déjà vu overhelmed him. Magic simmered within him, coalescing into the form of an electric barrier around him. When the images dissipated, he found himself standing in their jobs. He gritted his teeth, using every ounce of strength in his arms and legs to prevent the monsters from clamping down and devouring him.

 _This feeling..._

Link drew on the magic within him. It spread through his arms and legs, amplifying the energy prickling the surface of his skin. Electricity surged from his body. The gyorg seized and convulsed, paralyzed by the attack. Link swam out of the gyorg's mouth and toward its eyes. Bubbles fizzed around him. He screamed at the top of his lungs and impaled the gyorg's eyes with his fins. The gyorg sank to the sandy sea floor, screaming. Red and dark energy surrounded its body. It burned with an unholy fire, before dissolving into darkness.

 _That's one down..._

Link gazed around, adrenaline pumping through him. Before he could react, piercing pain stabbed his side. The gyorg rammed his body. Blood clouded the area around him. Link gritted his teeth, suppressing the howl of pain. Despite the pain, he grabbed onto the horn of the gyorg. He placed his left hand onto the purple body of the monster and concentrated. Magic power surged through him, coalescing into bio-electricity once more.

The gyorg spasmed in pain. Its body fell limp into the water, dissolving into darkness like its brethren. Link closed his eyes, seething. Crimson flowed into the water around him. He clutched his wounded side. Slowly, Link opened his eyes and swam to the surface, his fins returning to normal. When his head pierced the water, he quickly glanced around. Grabbing the pouch hanging from his sides, he pulled it out of the water and rummaged through its contents.

Moments later, he pulled out a bottle of red liquid, secured by a cork bottle stopper. Link pulled the cork out from the bottle. With a shaky right arm, he raised the liquid to his lips and sipped. Convulsions surged through his body. He corked the bottle and returned it to his pouch. Instinctively, he held onto it for dear life as the medicine took effect. Pain wracked his body. Link stared down at the gash on his left side, and watched the flesh begin to mend itself.

 _Oh Gods, it's like I'm being stabbed by a thousand miniblins..._

The pain subsided. Link felt his heart begin to slow. Gills, working in overdrive, returned to normal. Holding a hand to his forehead, Link's thoughts turned toward the monsters that attacked him.

 _If those monsters are here as well, then—_

Howling laughter filled Link's thoughts. Images of Ganondorf, his eyes ablaze with undying hatred, stared into his own with homicidal intent. He held a bladed trident up to Zelda's neck, blood dripping down her skin. His deep, booming voice echoed in every direction.

 _"If you wish to see your precious Zelda again, then come to my castle."_

 _Ganondorf..._

Link flared in anger at the phantoms of his memory. The Demon King's harrowing image melted away, leaving only the surface of the boundless sea before his eyes. He clenched his fist and dove back into the sea. Determination fueled him as he bolted through the water.

 _I have to find her... before_ _ **he**_ _does... before it's too late..._

He did not know how long he swam. By the time he looked up at the surface again, the glow of moonlight traveled deep into . Link's eyes traced the ocean trenches before him. Off into the distance, he found a small cavern. He swam as fast as his fins could carry him. A tingling, numbing sensation ran down the right side of his body. His eyes widened.

 _No... not this again!_

Unable to move his right side, he frantically bolted toward the cave. He crashed into its depths. The dark, shadowy depths of the cave faded into a blur. As his body collapsed into the floor of the cave, the sea gave way to darkness. Link fell into an abyss, and oblivion drowned out all awareness. Unable to move his body, his thoughts turned elsewhere.

 _Zel... da..._

* * *

 **Later that night...**

 _Screams tore at Alex's awareness. Like a phantom, she hovered amongst the stars. She held her hands up. In place of the Zoran scales she had come to know, human Her eyes widened._

 _Far below her, two planets, surging with an eerie white light, collided into one another. Like gravity, the light pulled the two together. A woman's screams echoed around her in every direction._

 _"No! Get out of me!"_

 _A set of golden triangles hovered above the two worlds. Alex clasped her hands over her mouth, not believing her eyes. The triangles drew further and further toward the Earth, pulled into it by the very light that melded the worlds together. She clasped her ears shut, drowning out the noise of a beating heart._

 _The scene shifted around her. Bloated red skies hung above. Towering above the ruins of human civilization, a pig-like snout sniffed the air, dripping with blood. Cloven hooves pounded against the ground. Two figures stood in opposition to the monster—figures Alex recognized all too well._

Link? Zelda? **Ganon?** What the hell is going on?

 _Energy surged around them. The very ground beneath them shifted. Alex looked up at the horizon, and watched as it morphed between two forms: the towering skyscrapers of a human city, and the distant form of a castle surrounded by a cloudy mountain range. Behind the forms of Link and Zelda, two humanoid shapes of light, masculine and feminine, hovered in the air. A golden glow formed in Zelda's hands, taking the form of a compound bow. Link brandished the Master Sword, its blade shining with holy power._

 _Arrow after arrow of light tore through the darkness. They pierced Ganon's flesh. Two voices roared in pain, and with tusks bared, Ganon charged at the pair. Link charged toward the monster, rolling under his large body. From out of a pouch, he pulled out a device—a Hookshot, Alex realized—and fired it at Ganon's tail. The hook burrowed itself into the glowing, serpentine flesh. Link pulled closer to the monster at frightening speed, and planted the Master Sword deep into Ganon's spine._

 _Between the holy energy of the Light Arrows and the burning blade of the Master Sword, Ganon collapsed onto the ground. The two glanced at each other, pleased that the demon that had plagued them for so long... finally met its end. As the two embraced each other and walked away, Ganon snarled. With clawed hands, it ripped the light arrows out of its body. The Master Sword flew out of his body and landed on the ground with a thud. With burning amber eyes, it gazed down at the two of them, and charged at them._

No... no... this isn't happening! _Alex thought._

 _Blood trickled down ivory tusks. Link and Zelda's body hung lifeless, their bodies impaled. With a tilt of his head, he flung the bodies of his adversaries away like ragdolls. Two glowing shapes floated out of their corpses, while a third fled the Demon King's body, The three shapes coalesced to form the Triforce. Three screams, two feminine and one masculine, echoed through the dark skies. Howling laughter drowned out their cries._

 _"They failed... Their power alone was not enough. My life... and Hyrule's... I will not allow this to come to pass."_

 _The glowing forms rose higher into the air. They held their arms together. A brilliant flash erupted from their bodies. Time spun backwards, undoing the outcome of the terrible battle. As the world shifted back to normal, the woman's voice called out to the glowing forms._

 _"Go, my children... go and help them..."_

 _The scene shifted again, returning to the merging of two worlds. From beyond the reaches of time and space, a glowing serpent coiled around the worlds. He snorted in laughter as the Triforce burrowed its power further and further into the Earth. A distorted voice rang out._

 _ **You cannot stop the inevitable. All shall become as one...**_

* * *

 **March 12, 2016 CE (14 Eldin, 1437 HCE Hyrulean Reckoning)  
Early Morning**

Alex bolted forward, screaming at the top of her lungs. Bubbles fizzed around her. A dark, unfamiliar cavern encompassed her. The sudden change in her surroundings sent her heart racing. She crawled backwards along the sandy floor, her gills fluttering in panic.

 _Where am I? How the fuck did I get here?_

She did not remember how she got here. One moment, she slumbered peacefully inside of a coral reef, and the next, inside this foreboding place. Alex closed her eyes, searching her memory for any semblance of an answer, anything that could fill the latest black void in her recollection. When she found nothing, she buried her face in her hands.

 _It's getting worse... why do I keep having these blackouts? It's like my memory has become swiss cheese... What the hell is happening to me?_

Alex's stomach twisted itself into knots. She glanced out toward the end of the cave. Outside, glowing colonies of plankton illuminated the sea depths. A part of her felt mesmerized by the sight, while another wanted to get as far away from the sea as possible. Fatigued and overwhelmed by her own ambivalence, she fell back down onto the soft sandy floor. She clenched her fist and pounded it against the ground.

Feeling her eyes droop, she wrapped her arms and fins around herself, and fell into uncertain slumber.

* * *

 **March 16, 2016 CE (18 Eldin, 1437 HCE Hyrulean Reckoning)  
Afternoon**

Days passed since Alex awoke in the dark cavern of the sea. As if chased by a looming shadow, she sped through the depths of the sea, not caring where she landed. Most days, Alex found herself lucky to have a meal at all; the few fish she did manage to catch, she hardly ate. Images of her grandfather and sister, carrying on life without her, fueled her determination to return home. She weaved through forests of kelp, taking little time to enjoy the sights around her.

Alex's stomach growled. She peered through the kelp in search of sustenance. Off into the distance, near a barnacle-encrusted rock, a bespeckled angelfish examined the rock. Eager and impatient, she darted toward the fish. The fish swam away, and Alex gave chase. She grabbed the fish with her fingers and furrowed her brows.

 _I hate fast food._

She thoughtlessly bit into the fins of the fish, spitting out guts and bone. As she consumed the fish raw, a looming shadow passed over her. She looked up, and found herself gazing at a strange, whale-like creature. Alex blinked her eyes, doing a double take.

 _What the hell?_

Above the sea, boat propellers tore through the waters. Every fish, eel, and sea creature fled the area. Alex stayed put, confused by the events unfolding above. Before she could even begin to make sense of anything, screams echoed in her mind.

Shivers travelled down Alex's spine. She tossed away the remains of her meal, put off by the going on of the surface. Something about the voice touched Alex at her very core. As she sped closer and closer to the surface, the creature's features became more and more apparent in the burning daylight beyond the water. On first glance, Alex had thought the creature a blue or humpback whale of some kind; now, she did not seem so sure.

Déjà vu ran through her mind. For some reason, she recognized the creature from somewhere. The twinkling blue eyes, the golden crown that beset its snout... she could not pinpoint where she saw it before. Her head pierced the surface, and her eyes widened.

Surrounding the creature on boats, sailors tossed harpoons into its thick, blubbery hide, while others fired rounds from rifles. Screams and wails of agony invaded Alex's mind. In that instant, it dawned on her. She clenched her fist in anger. As if in response, she felt her fore-fins harden into blade-like appendages. She seethed at the ghastly sight of the whalers.

 **"No!"** She shouted at the top of her lungs, **"Leave him alone, you bastards!"**

The whalers turned their attention away from the creature, and toward Alex's form. They shouted words amongst one another. Only one word stood out to Alex as she pieced together their conversation.

 _'Aberrante'...? Are they calling me a freak? Oh, now that_ _ **really**_ _fries my hide!_

Cocked rifles echoed through the air. Alex found herself staring into the barrels of their weapons. She crossed her arms over her shoulder.

 _What the fuck am I doing? These whalers have guns, and all I have are flippers. This hardly seems fair at all. I should run away with the rest of the fish in the sea. Of course... Cass always was the smart one between the two of us, and I never did like bullies..._

Time slowed to a crawl. Bullets flew through the air. Alex swung out her arms.

 _Here goes nothing!_

Seized by energy, her fore-fins flew away from her, whirling through the air like boomerangs. The bullets clanged against the surface of the fins. Alex watched, in shock, amazement, and horror, as the fins knocked the guns out of a whaler's hands. It fell into the water, sinking into the deep blue depths. Their eyes, too, widened in shock. As if by magic, the fins flew back and re-attached themselves in a flicker of light.

 _Holy shit, it worked. It's just like_ Majora's Mask.

Alex dove far beneath the water. Bullets sped through the surface, slowing to a crawl. Her lips rose into a cocky grin. With newfound confidence, she sped toward the surface. Energy surged within her being, unlike anything she had ever felt before. It streamed throughout her body, mingling with her blood. She had no time to think about this newfound force, for bio-electricity surged around her. She pierced the surface of the water, and grabbed onto the railing of the boat.

Like a bolt of lightning, energy surged through the metal. The whalers spasmed and convulsed, until they fell to the ground, paralyzed. On the sight of them breathing, Alex let out a sigh of relief. She turned her head toward the partner boat, snarling at the whalers aboard, who stared at the scene in stunned, horrified expressions.

"Anybody else?"

Angry shouts and curses filled the air. The boat sped away from the scene, the words "diablo" and "aberrante" interspersed with other foreign words. Alex released her grip from the boat railing and plunged back into the water. A trail of smoky crimson sank into the depths of the sea. The creature swam away, cries of pain echoing in her mind. Her eyes widened in horror.

 _Oh no..._

"Wait!" Alex shouted, "Please wait!"

She swam after the creature. Surprised by its speed, it disappeared down a steep underwater canyon. Only the trail of inky blood gave Alex any indication of where it had gone. Like a hound, she followed the trail, until she made her way into a dark crevasse. At the bottom of the dark depths, the creature rested at the bottom, blue eyes fading in and out of focus. She swam in front of the creature's face. To her surprise, a voice called out to her in her mind.

 _«What is it, little one...? I'm dying...»_

The voice, small and weak, sent shivers down Alex's spine. She shook her head, not believing her eyes. Pained laughter rang through her thoughts.

"You... can speak?"

 _«I don't understand. Why are you speaking the Terran language...? Are you not from Hyrule?»_

Alex blinked in confusion, stunned by the words floating in her brain. The creature's words all but confirmed her suspicions. Like an invisible hand, she felt something enter her mind, feeling her every thought and emotion. She shirked backwards, taken aback by the strange sensation.

 _«I see... you are not one of my children... You are... Terran...»_

 _«Terran...?»_

 _«Yet, you know of me... somehow... it does not matter. There is... no time...»_

Alex shook her head at the creature once more, uncertain of the telepathy she somehow found herself tapping into. Like many things relating to her Zoran form, she found it strange and invasive. Before this being, she felt stripped naked, her insecurities and confusion brought to the forefront. In spite of her feelings, she searched for her voice and called out to the creature.

 _«Who... are you?»_

The creature closed its eyes.

 _«I was once known as Jabu-Jabu. I lived in a fountain with my children, the Zora. Together, we protected the waters of Hyrule, on behalf of the Goddesses who created our world. My children worshipped me as a god. They doted over me, attending to my every need. Now, I am but a shadow of my former self, lost within the mind of this dying whale.»_

Alex looked down at Jabu-Jabu with a stunned expression. She did not know what to make of the creature's words, or the fact that he, much less the world from a video game she had cherished since childhood, actuallly existed. She swam closer to Jabu-Jabu's body, running her scaly fingers across his flesh, as if to affirm his existence before her.

 _«So wait... Hyrule exists? As in the Hyrule, the place where a bunch of wars over a magic set of triangles left behind by some stupid goddesses happened?»_

Jabu-Jabu coughed.

 _«You have... an interesting choice of words. I would mind that tongue, if I were you. It is rude to speak of Those who are listening.»_

Alex rolled her eyes. In all the times she had played The Legend of Zelda, never once did she see Link get struck by lightning for doing something against the Golden Goddess' will, the 'Cucco Revenge Squad' notwithstanding. At the same time, the way the creature spoke to her put her on edge.

 _«Alright, well, um... I'm sorry, I think...? Anyway, uh... what brings you to my waters? Um, why are you here, exactly?»_

A sad groan rumbled in the back of her skull.

 _«The light of the Convergence has swallowed my world, and everything in it. Our bodies and our minds have been pulled into your world, hybridized with the creatures that live here. I... am but one of those creatures, as are the hybrids of my children, the Zora. The Convergence seeks to merge your world and ours, and when it is finished... destroy it completely...»_

Stunned by the deity's words, Alex found herself unable to speak or utter a thought. The gears in her head ground to a halt. Her mind shifted back to the events of the plane crash, and the light that twisted the passengers into twisted abominations based on a world she believed to be fiction.

 _«What are you saying? That light... that light that enveloped us all that night... is going to destroy us?»_

 _«If left unchecked, our worlds were merge, and unable to bear the weight of their combined forces, will shatter under the pressure.»_

 _«I can't believe I'm asking you this, but... how do we stop it? How do we put an end to this... 'Convergence' you speak of?»_

 _«The power of the Goddesses... the heart of our world, the Triforce... if the lost pieces are brought together, They will have no choice but to descend onto this place and grant the wish of the holder. Only the Goddesses have the power to undo the Convergence.»_

Alex ho-hummed, unsurprised by his words. She gazed into Jabu-Jabu's tired blue eyes, her expression nonplussed.

 _«And, let me guess... the pieces are held by a pig-faced Demon King fellow, a princess-goddess-wannabe Sheikah chick who has trouble not getting kidnapped, and a heroic mime with a penchant for assaulting poultry and pottery. I mean, I think I might be missing a few details, but I think I have the gist of it, really...»_

For a brief moment, Jabu-Jabu's dull, listless eyes gleamed with bewilderment.

 _«I know not how you know of my world, and the bearers of the Triforce, but it matters not. Unless the sacred triangle is reassembled and brought together, our worlds... are doomed...»_

Silence hung in the air. Alex frowned at Jabu-Jabu. The deity sighed, his energy fading. Even now, Alex felt his grasp fading away. In spite of herself, she looked into his large eyes again. Jabu-Jabu's words ate away at her mind. He said she was not one of his children. She glanced down at her scaly, Zoran body in confusion before gazing back up at him.

 _«Hey, um... I'm sorry if I rubbed you the wrong way. I've... never been the best at expressing myself, but if it isn't too much trouble, I have something I want to ask you.»_

 _«Speak. I have so little time left... I can feel myself... fading away...»_

Alex drew water into her gills and sighed.

 _«You said I wasn't one of your children... A Zora. If... If I'm not a Zora... then what am I...?»_

Jabu-Jabu hissed in pain, struggling to remain awake.

 _«Your shape... it is the product of magic. Yes, I sense it... a mask conceals your true nature. Remove that mask, and you will regain your form.»_

Alex cocked her head to the side. She remembered the day she woke up on the deserted cay. In response to her resemblance to Zora Link, she had tugged at her face in order to remove a mask from her face, only to find nothing there. From behind membranes, she raised her eyebrow at Jabu-Jabu in confusion.

 _«What are you saying? That I've actually been wearing a mask this whole time?»_

 _«Precisely.»_

 _«But that doesn't make any sense! I tried to check if there was a mask on my face, and I couldn't get anything off!»_

 _«Only the one who donned the mask can take it off.»_

Alex cast an annoyed expression at Jabu-Jabu.

 _«So you're telling me, and I mean no disrespect to you when I say this, is that an ass clown put this mask on my face, and the only way to get said mask off my face is if the ass clown who put it on my face removes it.» Alex sighed. «Alright, well, do you by any chance have any pointers on who said ass clown might be so I can have a few choice words with him? Her? It?»_

The sensation of another presence probing her mind made Alex flutter in the water. A part of her felt scared, to know the truth of her circumstances, while another wanted very much to put the nightmare that had become her existence out of its misery. For that reason, she tolerated the creature digging into her mind.

 _«I sense another will beside your own, slumbering in the shadow of your very soul...»_

Jabu-Jabu paused. The creature trembled, weakness setting in. Alex floated in the water, waiting in suspense. Moments passed, and Alex waited. As she felt him burrow further and further into her mind, something stirred. Jabu-Jabu pulled himself away from her thoughts, his eyes widening. He gazed into her eyes with what little strength he had remaining.

 _«He lives... the Hero lives...»_

Alex's eyes widened. She did not like the direction their conversation now took. Jabu-Jabu laughed, delirious.

 _«Jabu-Jabu, what are you going on about? You're not making any sense!»_

 _«He lives... in you...»_

Alex waved her hands and fins in front of Jabu-Jabu's face.

 _«Jabu-Jabu...?»_

 _«May the way... of the Hero... lead... to the... Tri... force...»_

Jabu-Jabu's eyes rolled into the back of his head. The creature fell limp into the water, the life from his body gone. Alex shook her head, not believing her eyes. She swam closer to his body and pounded on the cold blubber of his body.

"No... no! Don't do this to me! Don't fucking do this to me, you goddamn fish!"

Tears welled up on the outside of the membranes covering her eyes. They floated upward like bubbles in the sea. Overcome with emotion, Alex pounded her fists against Jabu-Jabu's inert form.

"Wake up... please wake up... Don't leave me alone like this... I have so much I want to ask you... Please..."

Alex collapsed onto the sea floor and sobbed, her pleas falling on deaf ears. In the depths of the sea, she mourned the loss of a being she hardly knew. Even as night fell, she never left Jabu-Jabu's side. When she next opened her eyes, she glanced up at the white halo piercing the surface of the water far above. She looked back at Jabu-Jabu's body and sighed.

"Jabu-Jabu... it was nice to meet you. Goodbye... Thanks for everything..."

She sped away from his corpse in silence, not looking back for a second.


	11. Hostile Takeover

**Soulbound**

Chapter VII - Ganondorf: Hostile Takeover

 **Nevada, United States - McCarran International Airport  
March 18, 2016 CE (20 Eldin, 1437 HCE Hyrulean Reckoning)  
8:00AM, Pacific Standard Time**

Voices echoed throughout the terminal. Hundreds of men and women stepped into the airport, and made their way toward baggage carousels. Emily walked behind an older woman. She kept her gaze toward the floor, not bothering to look up at anyone. When she and her guardian reached a baggage carousel, she glanced up, peering through luggage after luggage.

When she found her suitcase, she picked it up without a word. Her guardian followed suit. She motioned for Emily to accompany her.

"Come along, Emily. Grandpa will be here in a few minutes to pick us up."

"Yes, Grandma..."

Emily took a seat beside her grandmother. She stared out into the red earth of Mojave Desert. It felt different, too different from the place she used to call home. With her parents gone, she had nowhere to go. Her Aunt Christie could not afford to take care of her. In order to give the girl a new lease on life, her paternal grandparents decided to take her in. Now, after a long plane flight, she stood on the verge of entering a new world, and a new life.

She had so few belongings. Ever since the night of her father's accident, the police had sectioned off the Blackwell Residence, and she could not get back many of the things she treasured, things that reminded her of the parents she dearly loved. With only a few sets of clothes and some blankets, she felt torn between the life she lived with her parents, and the new life out on the dusty horizon.

It all felt like a blur to her. Everything in her life had moved so quickly. To her, it seemed like days ago that Alicia, Samson, and Emily Blackwell remained a family—a _dysfunctional_ family, but a family nonetheless. She wanted her family back, to see her parents again. The burning demonic right eye of the shadowy giant that had taken her father's place haunted her.

Emily felt a set of wrinkled fingers rub against her hair. She looked up at her grandmother and wiped away the tears that formed on her face. The old woman, sensing her granddaughter's sadness, held her child for a moment. Emily, too, could sense her grandmother's sadness.

"Grandma... I miss him... I miss Dad so much right now."

"I know, honey. I know. We're all worried about what's happened to him. The police are doing everything they can to find your parents. Until then, you've got a place with us."

Closing her eyes, Emily remembered the night of that breaking news story: of how she heard her mother's screams, and how the shadowy giant that kidnapped her slaughtered police and SWAT officers using a trident. She wanted so very much to believe her grandmother, to believe that she would reunite with her parents and finally get her family back. Amid these thoughts, she shook her head.

 _If I had just listened... none of this would have happened..._

"Hey, you two."

Emily pulled herself away from her thoughts and looked into a familiar wrinkled face. His gray eyes stared back at her, reflecting nurturing warmth. Emily's Grandmother got up from her chair and approached the older man.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Lorraine. We had a little trouble with the moving company, but it's all been sorted out.

"Why didn't you call, Richard? We've been waiting here at the airport for hours, and Emily's getting tired."

Richard frowned.

"I did try to call you, but for some reason, I couldn't get any reception. Something must be wrong with the cell phone towers or something."

Lorraine sighed. She held her chin in thought, and glanced at Emily. Emily looked back at her with a confused glance.

"Something the matter, Grandma?"

Lorraine shook her head.

"No, it's fine. Come on, let's head home."

With a wave of her hand, she motioned for Emily to accompany her and Richard. She grabbed her suitcase and followed her grandparents out of the airport. Emily held her grandmother's hand. Lost within her own thoughts, she did not bother to look up.

As the three of them wove their way through the mass of people in the airport, screams and shouts filled the air.

"Stop! Stop, thief!"

Emily's head jolted up. Her eyes darted around the lobby, startled by the noise. Off to her right, she saw a small shrub-like creature tear through the crowd of people, veiled in green leaves. A white leather purse dangled from its wooden hand.

The creature's eyes burned with an eerie light, the same light that consumed her father on that terrible night. Emily gasped at the creature as it whizzed past them, shoving and jumping over anything and anyone that got in his way. Trailing behind it, security officers ran in pursuit.

Lorraine and Richard looked on at the scene, stunned and mortified. Emily, too, found herself speechless. It ran up an down stairs, flying through the air on leaves and sprouted flowers. When the creature found himself at a dead end, it hugged the wall.

"He's over here! The Aberrant's over here!"

Officers descended on the Aberrant. Shots fired into the air. Darts pierced the wooden flesh of the creature. The Aberrant let out a howl of pain, and dropped the white purse onto the ground. He fell onto his hands and knees, the light in his eyes flickering and fading. Crowds watched the scene go on, their faces an ambivalent mixture of surprise, shock, disgust, and annoyance.

"Oh, great. Now we've got Deku Aberrants flooding the area. As if we didn't already have enough to deal with..."

"Why hasn't anyone done anything about these freaks?!"

"They're not even **human**..."

Emily and the Deku Aberrant locked eyes with one another. His tormented gaze begged and pleaded to her. In that instant, she remembered her father, and evil light that gleamed from his right eye. Consumed by pity for the Aberrant, Emily could do nothing as police and security officers drug him away.

Richard pulled Emily away from the sight around them. Lorraine shielded Emily's eyes, much to the girl's dismay.

"Let's go. I think we've seen enough of this **madness** for one day," Richard said, snorting in repugnance at the Aberrant.

The three of them stepped into the hot, dry air of the airport parking lot. As they piled into a black mini-van, Emily looked into the red desert beyond. Caged behind glass and electric fences, with nothing more than tattered white tents to shield them from the desert sun, groups of people gathered around, destitute. Some appeared human, with long pointed ears behind the only sign of abnormality. Among them, vague humanoid beings, rock-like, fish-like, and plant-like, screamed and hollered at passers by.

"You can't do this! We're still human! We're still American citizens!"

"What the fuck is wrong with you people?!"

"You can't treat us like this! We have rights! **Rights!** "

Sensing the escalating hostility, Richard pulled out of the airport parking lot as quickly as he could, and drove down the freeway. Emily shook in her seat, frightened by what she observed. The three sat in silence as they made their way home.

* * *

 **11:00AM, Blackwell Residence**

Emily watched from the rear passenger seat as the mini-van pulled into a driveway. A small, single story house, cobbled together from brick, greeted her eyes. She had not come here in so long; due to living in another state, her family visited her Grandpa Richard and Grandma Lorraine infrequently at best. More and more, it began to sink in that her new life stood before her.

She grabbed her suitcase and stepped out of the car. Emily followed her grandparents as they gathered their belongings, stored in the trunk of the mini-van. The three of them made their way to the threshold of the doorway. Emily's heart pounded in her chest. Her entire body shook; she did not know why she felt so afraid to enter their home.

"Come on in, Emily. Make yourself at home," Lorraine said, her voice welcoming.

With a sigh of reservation, she stepped into the quaint. All along the wall hung aged pictures of a younger man and woman, holding the hands of a younger boy. She had seen these pictures before. The faces of her grandparents and her father only served to reinforce the loss that ached in her heart. Unable to look on any longer, Emily looked away.

Tightening her grip on the handle of her suitcase, she followed her grandmother down a hall. Toward the end of the hall stood the doorway to the master bedroom. Her grandmother stopped in front of a smaller room near the middle of the hall. Lorraine opened the door and invited her inside.

All along the light pink walls of the room, hung what belongings could be retrieved from her old home. Chief among them, a set of video game consoles and a scant amount of games. She laid her suitcase down on the bed and walked toward the game at the top of the stack. Glancing down at the face of a pointed-eared man in green juxtaposed by a wolf, she let out a rueful smile.

She did not know if she could ever look at Twilight Princess the same way. The world she once knew, the world she once lived in, changed the night her father fell down a set of stairs... and became someone else entirely. Emily hid the case under the stack of games, not wanting to glance at it any longer. She began to unpack her suitcase in silence.

 _Will I ever see you and Mom again, Dad? I want you to come home. I want us to be a family again. Please, God... Please bring back Mom and Dad. I promise I will never do anything bad again... Please..._

Overwhelmed by her sadness, Emily collapsed against the bed. Tears streamed down her face. She could do nothing to stop the sobs that left her mouth. Wrapping her arms around herself, she pulled her arms into her chest and sat against her bed, locked in a fetal position.

* * *

 **March 21, 2016 CE (23 Eldin, 1437 HCE Hyrulean Reckoning)  
8:00PM**

Emily laid down on her bed, staring up at the ceiling blankly. Off into the other room, she could hear her grandparents at the dinner table, having a discussion.

"Do you think we should look into a counselor for her?"

"Shhhh, Richard! Keep your voice down! You might wake Emily!"

"I know, I know..."

She turned over on her side, wanting not to eavesdrop on their conversation. Since her arrival within their household days ago, she dared not leave her room. Lost in her sadness and loneliness, she did not even bother to come and eat dinner. She found it hard enough to show her face around her grandparents without bursting into tears.

"Poor dear has been though enough already..."

"You don't think we haven't? Nobody will tell us anything about what happened to her father. I want to know what happened to my son, too."

"She hasn't eaten all day. Barely came out of her room the other day. She must really be torn up inside over what's happened."

Sighs echoed throughout the household. Emily closed her eyes. At the sound of her grandfather sobbing, Emily perked her head up. She never heard him cry before. The sound of his strangled sobs made her heart sink in her chest.

"Why, Lorraine? Why did this have to happen to my son?"

"There, there. We'll just have to pull through this together... as a family."

"You saw that news bulletin, too, Lorraine. You saw what that monster did to those policemen in Minnesota. My son's become a monster... Every time I look at one of those Aberrants, I see my son. I see a demon that has taken my boy, my own flesh and blood, away from me!"

"Richard..."

"Oh, God, Lorraine. I just want my son back... I just want God to give me my son and my daughter-in-law back."

Silence hung in the air. Emily could already feel the tears beginning to form in her eyes. It took several minutes for the emotions within the household to run their course. After much sobbing and sniffling, she heard her grandparents begin their discussion again.

"Maybe we all need to see a therapist. I don't know how to help her, Lorraine. I'm as depressed and upset about what's happened as she is. I want to be strong, but this has all happened so quickly, Lorraine... I can't even begin to process how I feel, either."

"I'll call Dr. Stevenson in the morning and set us up for an appointment. Even if this doesn't work out, it's the least we can do to help get past this. I want her to be happy her, Richard. This is her home now. I want her to feel like she belongs here, and that we can be there for her when she needs it. We have to be strong, for her sake... and ours."

Pained by their words, Emily grabbed the sides of her pillow and covered her ears. Silence fell on the Blackwell household, and before long, she drifted off into uneasy slumber.

* * *

 **Schofield Middle School  
March 24, 2016 CE (26 Eldin, 1437 HCE Hyrulean Reckoning)  
12:00PM**

Laughter filled the warm spring air. Emily walked around the track of her new middle school, taking in the sights around her. The day went by so quickly, and she found it so hard to focus in class. The images of the night at Northfield Hospital flashed in her mind.

She could hardly swallow the peanut butter sandwich in her hand. The shadowy giant, with his vibrant red hair, flailed in the winter wind. He slung her mother's body over a clawed gauntlet, vanishing into the darkness without a trace. A glowing demonic right eye bore into her own.

Like a video on repeat, she could not shake the image from her mind, nor could she shake the image of that same demon, with black glistening trident in hand, slaughtering police officers with power unfathomable. Pulling herself away her thoughts, she peered around at the school and at the faces of her new peers. She took a seat by herself at the inner edge of the track.

"Hey."

Emily looked up. Standing above her, a boy knelt down beside her. His warm brown eyes gazed into her own. He offered a kind smile at her.

"Mind if I sit here?"

Emily shook her head.

"Not at all."

The boy sat down beside her.

"I'm Dan. You must be new around here."

"Is it that obvious?"

Dan laughed.

"Well, it is the first any of us have seen you. I saw you in Biology today. I wanted to say something to you, but you looked like you didn't want to be bothered. When I saw you sitting over here, I figured I'd stop by and give you a warm welcome to Paradise."

"Oh, thank you..."

Silence filled the air between them. When he saw that her sullen expression had not changed, Dan adjusted his shirt and coughed.

"So, where are you from?"

"Northfield, Minnesota."

"Oh wow, so you're from really far away, then. How are you liking it here in Nevada so far?"

Emily pursed her lips.

"It's... different, that's for sure. A lot warmer than I'm used to. I haven't really been here long enough to make up my mind, though. I only moved here last week."

As she continued talking to the boy, Emily felt her guard lower, if only by a small amount. She hoped that he would not bring up the Pleasant Grove massacre, or the disappearance of her parents. The demon's eye bore into her heart once more. Around this boy, she wanted to forget the events that brought her so far from home.

"Say, you're from Minnesota, right? You hear about what happened to those cops up there? Everybody's saying that Ganondorf from _The Legend of Zelda_ showed up and raised hell over there. I know a couple of friends of mine who thought it was the coolest thing ever, but most of us are pretty freaked out. God, first that storm, and now people are turning into video game characters..."

Discomfort coursed through Emily's spine. Dan's words stabbed her heart like a knife. She flinched and turned away from him.

"Yeah..."

Dan frowned, troubled by her reaction. He placed a gentle hand on her right shoulder.

"Hey... I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. We can talk about something else if you want."

"No, I'm sorry. It's just... I didn't exactly move here for happy reasons. Talking about what happened up there just... hurts. It's not you at all, it's me."

Dan nodded his head in understanding. He offered her a comforting smile.

"Alright, well, if you ever need an ear, just let me know. You don't have to go through this alone."

Emily smiled.

"Thank you. I really appreciate it."

At the edge of that thought, Emily realized that she had not introduced herself to him. She gazed into his eyes.

"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Emily Blackwell."

* * *

Off into the distance, in the shade of a tree, Samson watched the middle schoolers conversing and playing games with one another. On the other side of a chain link fence, he spotted the figure of his daughter, seated beside a boy not much older than her. The sight of Emily, so far removed from the place they called home, sent his emotions reeling.

He did not think he would ever see his daughter again. As he held a clawed gauntlet up to his face, he realized the futility of his actions. She would not recognize him at all. Even still, he searched for her whereabouts, hoping to see her again. Now, she stood before him in the distance.

 _"Dad... Why are you and Mom separating?"_

 _"Your mother and I... are going through a rough time right now. I love you very, very much, honey, but I don't want to talk about this."_

 _"I don't want you to fight anymore. I don't want you or Mom to leave. I just want us to be a family, Dad..."_

 _Mom, Dad... please take care of Emily for me. I'm sorry for everything..._

"Nice to meet you, Emily."

 _Emily... please forgive your good-for-nothing father..._

Samson could hear their conversation, even from his distance. Unconsciously, he found himself stepping out of the shadows, black armor clinking against the red earth. He dared not approach the fence too closely. Samson did not want his daughter to know his presence—it was better that way, he realized.

"Emily..."

Samson did not intend for his voice to rumble the way it did. When he saw her head perk up, he disappeared into the shadow of the tree. As his long, vermilion hair disappeared in the wind, Emily turned around, catching a glimpse of his phantom for a brief moment.

Chills ran down her spine. She recognized the shape of the demon that took her mother from her all too well. Rushing to her feet, she stepped away from the edge of the track, staring at the tree with terrified eyes. Dan, too, bolted upright, spooked by the looming shadow in the distance.

"Did you see that, Emily?! Holy crap..."

Emily's entire body trembled. Frozen in fear, she could not look away. The shadow disappeared, as though it never existed. After what seemed like forever, she took a step back.

"Dad...?" She muttered.

Dan's eyes widened. An incredulous look formed on his face. He turned toward Emily.

"Wait... your dad is Ganondorf?"

Emily turned away from Dan, her voice silent. She dared not voice how she felt to the boy who welcomed her. Sensing her growing fear and discomfort, Dan shook his head and offered his hand to the girl.

"Look, uh... forget I said anything, alright? It's probably just the wind." He motioned toward the gymnasium. "Hey, you want to go inside? Lunch is almost over."

Emily closed her eyes, mulling over the decision. Not wanting to dwell on the turn of events that just unfolded, she nodded at her new friend.

"Yeah... why don't do that? I think the sun is getting to me anyway. I didn't think it would be so hot this time of year."

"Oh, trust me, it can get really nasty out here in the Mojave. Anyway, let's get going."

As the two middle schoolers made their way into the gymnasium, the bell rang. The students filed into the building and made their way to class.

* * *

 **Outskirts of the Mojave Desert  
March 25, 2016 CE (27 Eldin, 1437 HCE Hyrulean Reckoning)  
12:00AM**

The full moon hung over the horizon, bathing the earth in a silver glow. Groups of men gathered around shipping trucks, muttering to one another in hushed tones. Ski masks and balaclavas covered their faces, while gloves obscured their hands. Near the edges of the scene, spotters scanned the horizon, searching for any sign of trouble. As container after container got moved onto trucks, voices called out into the night.

"¡Vámonos! ¡Vámanos!"

Other men wearing business suits patrolled the area, cocking pistols in their hands. Everyone present looked over their shoulder, wary of any possible sign of danger looming in the night. Paranoia blanketed the air, and the men quickened their pace, eager to get their product out of the desert and shipped out of prying eyes.

 _Jesus Christ, we've got to get this shipment out of here before the Feds find us! Why are they moving so slow?!_

At the far right of the loading area, a young man wearing black clothes scanned the horizon with a set of night vision binoculars. The world glimmered various hues of green. In the corner of his right eye, he spotted a shape sweeping through the sky. When he looked up, a vulture-like monster swooped down on him with fleshy bat-like wings. The man screamed as the creature grabbed his shoulders and drug him off into the air, screeching into the night.

"What the—?!"

From out of nowhere, lizard-men, pig-men, skeletons clad in black armor, and other otherworldly demons surrounded their operation. The men in suits opened fire on the creatures, emptying their magazines on the creatures. With a shrill screech, the lizard-men sliced at the men with dark swords. Gleaming red lights, set into skulls, bore into the eyes of the traffickers.

Screams filled the night. Blood poured onto the red desert earth. As the shippers raced to flee the area, more monsters appeared from the darkness. Fangs glimmered in the moonlight. From out of the mob, the figure of Ganondorf, accompanied by Alicia, stepped into the array of men. Their eyes widened in horror at the sight of him.

"¡Mierda! ¡El Diablo!"

His right eye bore into their own, burning with an unholy yellow light. A man with a clipboard stumbled onto the ground, cowering at the sight of the humanoid abomination before him. As a skeleton moved to slice into him, Ganondorf held up his hand. The skeleton lowered its weapon, much to the man's surprise.

All around them, the area erupted into a warzone. Bullets echoed through the night, deflecting off the monsters effortlessly. Only the men involved with the actual movement of cargo remained spared from the onslaught. The monsters gathered around the perimeter, standing guard as the enforcers once did.

Ganondorf stepped toward one of the trucks. Alicia looked on, staring at the Demon King in a trance. He tore open the door to the shipping container, tossing the sheet of metal aside like a toy. The traffickers watched with widened eyes as he ventured further and further into the cargo truck.

He tore open one of the cases within the container. Inside, horizontal white slabs laid stacked on top of one another, separated by sheets of plastic. Ganondorf raised his eyebrow at the strange sight. He ran his fingers across the surface, studying the white powder left behind on the clawed fingertips of his gauntlet. Intrigued by the substance before him, he glanced over his shoulder at Alicia.

 _«What is_ _ **this?**_ _»_

 _«It's cocaine, my lord: a highly addictive drug we use for recreation and pleasure.»_

 _«Highly addictive, you say...?»_

The gears in Ganondorf's mind turned. A smile formed on his lips. He turned around, and stepped out of the shipping container. The men, bound by his army of monsters, squirmed at the sight of his approach.

"Who... is your... _master_?"

Gulping, the man with the clipboard shuddered. Ganondorf held his trident up to the man's throat. It gleamed with black and crimson energy. The man cried out.

"Alright, alright, señor! Don't hurt me, please! Our boss... our boss i-is... Luis Ferradino... Capo of the Los Veraccos..."

"Where... can I find... him? Your... 'boss'?"

"Caesars Palace. Top floor of the gambling hall, along the Strip."

"Take me... to him."

The man vigorously nodded his head. Ganondorf lowered his trident, and glanced at Alicia. She walked by his side, silent and obedient. With a nod of his head, the dark bindings disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Startled by the noise, the man fell backwards. Ganondorf snorted at him in repugnance. He knelt down and forced the man onto his feet. Off into the distance, he watched the flickering lights of the city beyond. One sign in particular caught his interest: "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas!"

Even far into the desert, he could sense the opulence, the sheer greed the city and its denizens exuded. He liked this town. It reminded him of a home, away from home. Alicia gathered beside him, as did a small group of monsters. Others stood guard around the man's accomplices.

 _«Guard these men. If any so much as tries to escape... kill them.»_

 _«Yessssss, massssssterrrrrr...»_

Surrounded by the cries of monsters, the man screamed as darkness surrounded them. The world flashed by them, flickering amid puffs of black smoke. People whizzed by them, oblivious to the figures traveling in darkness. Ganondorf glanced up through the dark void, and saw a large, glitzy complex. On the side of a building, aligned against Roman-themed pillars, stood the words 'Caesars Palace'.

 _«My Lord, this is the place.»_

 _«Yes, I see it, puppet...»_

The man whimpered, unable to comprehend the scene unfolding before his eyes. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the vile noises that hissed around him in the shadows. With a crash, they appeared in front of a large set of fountains. He turned to the man and sneered.

"Well? Lead on... Terran..."

* * *

 **Caesars Palace, Luis Ferradino's Office  
2:00AM**

Luis took a puff from his cigar. He flipped his thumb through a stack of dollar bills in his hand. All around him, his lieutenants stood on the other side of his desk. A scowl plastered itself onto his face.

Business was bad. Someone, or something, was interfering with the operations of his drug cartel. Worse still, money had disappeared without a trace. Whatever had targeted him, wanted to see him go down... and he would not go down without a fight.

"Boss? You wanted to see us?"

Luis looked up at his men. He placed his cigar on a nearby ash tray. Wiping the powder off his suit, he held up files in front of his men.

"What happened to tonight's shipment, Diego? I thought you had this under control!"

"It is under control, I swear!"

"Then why haven't I heard anything back from them yet? Do you think I am stupid, Diego? Is that what you think?"

"Sir, I—"

Before Diego could finish his sentence, an unnatural torrent of wind burst through the air. The door to Luis' office swung open. Before Luis' eyes, he watched the man he had sent to oversee the shipment of his drugs skid across the floor. A looming shadow fell on him. When he looked up and away from his underling, he found himself staring into the face of a seven-and-a-half foot tall giant. Two eyes met his own: a normal, gray left eye, and a green right eye which glowed a sickening yellow light.

Luis' lieutenants whirled around and pointed pistols, shotguns, and rifles at the figure of Ganondorf. Chills ran down their spines, their guts churning at the vile malevolence this stranger exuded. His greaves pounded against the thin red carpet of the room. Ganondorf looked down at the figure of Luis, who remained seated on the other side of the lone desk.

"Boss, who the fuck is this g—"

He held his hand up to silence his underling. With an icy glare, Luis stared into the hostile eyes of Ganondorf.

"How can I help you, 'sir'?"

"Are you... Luis... Ferradino?"

Ganondorf's low, harsh baritone rattled the air. Never before had these men felt so afraid before. Something about this giant of a man left them on edge. Luis chomped down on his cigar, undeterred by the fear that shook his soul.

"What if I am? You lookin' to join the Los Verracos or something?"

"No. I am here... to take over..."

A tense silence hung in the air. For the longest time, neither Ganondorf nor Luis spoke. Then, as minutes passed, Luis took a puff from his cigar and chuckled. All around the room, his lieutenants joined him. The entire room descended into defiant, raucous laughter.

"Who the fuck do you think you are, Aberrant? Where do you get off barging into my office, and trying to take over my turf?"

"Ah, yes... I forget... about your silly... customs. Very well. Allow me... to introduce myself... Terran."

The Triforce of Power flared to life on his right hand. Dark magic flared around Luis' body. Ganondorf raised his hand, and Luis levitated in the air. Narrowing his eyes and flaring his nostrils, he flung Luis through a set of windows to his right. Each of the five lieutenants in the room raced toward the window, and watched helplessly as their boss plummeted into the streets below.

They slowly turned around, gulping at the sight of Ganondorf. He stepped aside, allowing Alicia to enter the room. She stared at the men, her expression blank. He stepped toward their former boss' desk.

"I am... Ganondorf. I am... your master now. You will serve me... or you will die."

The lieutenants looked at one another. Realizing the futility of the situation, they shifted their gaze toward their new boss.

"Call our suppliers. Tell them that the Los Verracos is... under new management now..."


	12. Premeditated Escape

**Soulbound**

Chapter VIII- Zelda: Premeditated Escape

 **California, United States - Marin General Hospital**  
 **March 20, 2016 CE (22 Eldin, 1437 HCE Hyrulean Reckoning)**  
 **11:00PM, Pacific Standard Time**

Moonlight bathed the sterile hospital halls. Armed guards patrolled the halls, searching for any sign of intrusion or escape. Zelda laid back on her bed. As shadows of guards passed her by, a frown formed on her face.

 _"Is everything ready for tonight, Zelda?"_

 _"Yes."_

Like a patient snake, she watched and waited. This hospital, this prison by any other name... she wanted out. Ever since waking up in solitary, the hospital staff grew more and more uneasy around her. No one wanted anything to do with her, or her people imprisoned in this place. Now, the news that the government wanted to quarantine all Aberrants—her people—to camps and government facilities made her panic.

The Terran people, she realized, had gone mad, driven by fear and paranoia toward the Aberrants. Charles' warning of his father looking to send him to an insane asylum with other Aberrants further unnerved her. Even her counterpart's own father had given into the sensationalist frenzy that swept through the media.

She hated the thought of having to separate Charles from his father, much less his own people. The Terran people did not know how to fix the binding of their souls, or the other Aberrants. What they perceived their affliction differed from its true nature in every respect. They saw it as a physical ailment, while Zelda and the lost souls of Hyrule reaped the mental and spiritual repercussions of the Convergence.

Zelda found herself with only two choices: allow these people to lock her, and in turn an innocent young man, away forever, or to carve out her own path to freedom. She did not want Charles to suffer because of her. As she drew in a deep breath, she made her choice.

 _"Remember: watch out for the cameras. If they catch you..."_

 _"I will be... careful."_

I do not know how much time I have before Charles wakes up again. We must leave this place, before the Demon King finds us...

Glancing up at the barred slot on the door to her room, Zelda saw the silhouette of a guard pass by her room. She crawled off the cot and crept toward the door in silence. Pushing herself onto her toes, her eyes scanned the hallway. Although the door remained locked, Zelda focused on the one advantage she had over this place: magic.

Blinking red lights flickered in a dark corner of the hospital. When she glanced up at the sight of a security camera, she narrowed her eyes. She took in a deep breath, drawing on the magic flowing within her. Zelda vanished from the padded room in a quiet hiss.

When she reappeared underneath the security camera, Zelda cast a wary glance above her. Footsteps clicked against the cold linoleum floors. As the camera moved away from the hall before her, Zelda slithered along the walls.

 _«Shiro, are you there?»_

Shiro's voice echoed in her mind.

 _«I am here, Your Highness.»_

 _«How are things on your end?»_

Shiro chuckled.

 _«Everything is going according to plan. No one is aware of our presence, nor have their 'cameras' detected us.»_

Zelda's face hardened.

 _«What of the guards downstairs?»_

 _«Our diversion should be beginning any second now...»_

Pained cries rang out from below. Footsteps and cocked guns followed as guards stormed downstairs. Zelda quickened her pace. The moving of gears filled her ears, and out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the camera moving toward her.

She darted around a corner.

"Help! Help! It's happening again!"

"Oh God, not this crap again..."

"Call for backup! I've got wandering Aberrants in the first floor lobby!"

Zelda slunk downstairs. Peering around the corner, she spotted several guards surrounding Shiro, a Deku Aberrant, and a Goron Aberrant curled up into a crying, twitching ball. Her heart sank at the sight of them; although she knew they had to put on such an act, it pained her to leave her people like this.

 _It has to be done. I will find a way to free you all, I swear it_ , Zelda thought.

She darted underneath the stairwell. More guards, accompanied by orderlies and men in uniforms, rushed down the stairs. Her heart raced.

 _"Charles... your people... fear us."_

 _"You are something they don't understand."_

 _"Yet... you know... of me... of my... world..."_

 _"Just because we know about you doesn't mean we understand you, Princess. People fear what they don't understand... and they hate what they fear. Fear makes people lose sight of themselves. It makes us give into our prejudices, our hatred of those who are 'different' from us. It brings out the worst in us, and in the end, we all become the monsters we so deeply despise."_

 _"Our peoples... are... more alike... than you... realize... Charles..."_

As guards rushed toward the diversion, Zelda darted out from underneath the stairs. She ran down the hall, streaks of moonlight shining on her hospital gown. Her gazed shifted toward the signs posted throughout the floor. One sign, a glowing green sign, caught her eye.

"Ex... it..."

 _This must be one of those signs Charles spoke to me about. He said they post them in every building, so that people know where all the exits are in case of emergency..._

 **"Freeze!"**

Zelda's eyes widened. At the sound of the guard's shout, she ran through the exit door. Shots rang out throughout the hospital. She dared not look back. In the darkness of the warehouse, an idea formed in her mind.

Holding up her right hand, the glow of the Triforce of Wisdom shimmered in the darkness. Energy swirled around her, and she vanished in a puff of smoke. Guards stormed into the room, laser sights pointing into the shadows. They slowly stepped inside, glancing around warily.

"Where the hell did he go?"

"He couldn't have gone far. Split up and keep looking. We can't allow these freaks to get out..."

Footsteps echoed around them in every direction. Paranoid, they turned every which way, searching for the source of the noise. Minutes passed, and silence reigned. One by one, each of the guards dispersed into different directions.

Box after box lined the shelves of the warehouse, each labeled with their contents. Toward the left, the guard looked at the box full of syringes and winced. Aside from the sound of his own breathing, he could hear nothing else but the clicking of boots against concrete. He pointed the laser sight of his pistol further down the aisle.

A rush of wind blew past him. He whirled his body around, unnerved by the sound. Rapid footsteps echoed behind him. Dizzied and disoriented, he turned in every direction. Without warning, a set of bandaged fingers pulled him into the shadows. They clasped his mouth shut. The guard struggled against a powerful grip, and before long, he lost consciousness, unable to breathe.

Down the center aisle, another guard heard the rustling of boxes. He rushed toward the left aisle. When he spotted the unconscious body of his ally, he let out a gasp. A black shape whizzed past him. The guard jumped into the air.

"What the?!"

His eyes darted around the warehouse. As more footsteps echoed around him, he found himself on edge. The guard stepped away from his ally, and aimed his gun. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he called out to the other guards still searching the room.

"Guys...? Is that you?"

"What the hell are you doing?! We've got to find that Aberrant!"

Another rush of wind blew through the warehouse. A thud echoed through the air. The guards, startled by the sound, sped off in search of the disturbance. Beside bags of trash, they found another one of their own, knocked unconscious.

 _What the hell is this Aberrant? Some kind of ninja or something?_

"Another man down!"

"I can see that, you idiot! Look, don't just stand there! Don't let that Aberrant get to you..."

The guard swallowed hard and resumed his search. His heart pounded in his chest. Sweat dripped down from his forehead. He felt his eyes darting in every direction, his mind on high alert.

Glass tumbled around him. The guard glanced up. A set of boxes and tubs slammed on his head. He fell to the ground, dizzied by the disturbance. Something hard smacked him across the face, and he knew no more.

On the other side of the warehouse, not far from the unconscious body by the trash, another guard turned his head toward the ruckus. Disturbed by the noise, he fired his pistol at the remaining shelves. Bullets pierced plastic and wood, sending splinters flying.

The guard drew in deep gulps of air. Adrenaline rushed through his body. He called out into the darkness.

"Hello? Is anyone still there?"

He aimed his flashlight. The body of his comrade laid strewn on the floor, lost in a sea of misplaced medical supplies. At the sight, he stepped back, steeling himself. All alone, he whirled around, paranoid and jumpy at every sound. Out of nowhere, the plucking of harp strings filled the room. Musical notes resonated in his ears.

Do do doo do, doo do doo... Do do doo do, do de doo...

The guard jumped at the noise. He aimed his flashlight upwards. Standing on top of a shelf, a figure in a blue and black jumpsuit loomed above him, plucking the strings of a golden harp. Bandages covered the figure's fingertips, torso, and head. Blond bangs concealed his left eye, leaving a gleaming red right eye, shimmering with an eerie light, exposed. Shredded wrappings hid the figure's mouth, while a torn cloth, adorned with the crimson symbol of a crying eye, hung freely over his chest.

Before the guard could react, the figure plucked one final note on his harp. A wave of energy barreled toward him. It collided with his body, sending him flying into a wall. He slid onto the ground as he lost consciousness.

Jumping off the shelf, the figure stepped toward the body. He narrowed his eye at the downed guards around him. A muffled sigh escaped his lips.

"...For...give... me..."

The sounds of pounding footsteps echoed through the halls outside. Glass shattering and bones breaking soon followed. Not wanting to be a part of the commotion beyond, the figure darted out of the warehouse.

 _«Your Highness, is everything alright?»_

Shiro's concerned voice tore Zelda from her thoughts. The cool night air brushed against the exposed parts of her face. Bounding through bushes, she darted into a darkened alleyway outside. Sirens and alarms filled the air.

 _«I'm fine, Shiro. I'm out of the building.»_

 _«Head into the mountains. There is a small enclave of our people hiding there, away from the Terrans. They will surely help you.»_

 _«What about you? Do you think you can handle the rest while I'm away?»_

 _«Of course.»_

Zelda closed her eyes and swallowed hard.

 _«I will find a way to free us all from this, Shiro. I promise.»_

 _«Gods be with you, Your Majesty.»_

Zelda leaped against the walls of the alley, her braid flailing behind her. She flipped onto a rooftop and darted across buildings. Below, startled and frightened bystanders pointed and watched her.

"Is that Sheik?"

"What the hell is going on?!"

"Help! There's an Aberrant running loose!"

"Somebody stop that man!"

At the edge of a rooftop, she found herself standing before a large expanse of water. Beyond the river, cars honked their horns, red and white lights trailing a blur of color on a busy roadway. Behind her, the sound of guns being cocked filled her ears.

"That's as far as you go, Aberrant."

Zelda glanced over her shoulder. Swarms of police officers stood behind her. She felt their gaze boring into her.

"Look, we don't want to hurt you. We just want to help you. Just come back with us, and we'll pretend like this never happened. Please don't make us do this..."

She turned around, and faced the crowed of officers head on. From out of a pouch, she pulled out a large nut. The officers looked on, bewildered by her actions.

"What's he doing?"

Zelda narrowed her eyes at them.

"I... re... fuse!"

She launched the nut onto the ground. It collided with the concrete. A bright flash filled the air. The officers shielded their eyes, crying out in pain. Zelda jumped off the rooftop, vanishing into a puff of smoke. When she reappeared again, she latched onto the underside of a bridge with a length of chain. Zelda swung through the air, vaulting onto the bridge.

She landed on the roof of a pickup truck. The driver, startled by the noise, looked up and saw her figure. He lost control of the vehicle, driving onto the other side of the road, and sending cars swerving along the roadway.

Zelda leapt off the truck and rushed down the road. A bright flash of light illuminated her form. She looked up and saw the form of a helicopter speeding toward her. Growling in frustration, she raced toward the homes nearby.

 _"We call them 'helicopters'. They're what you would call a flying machine. We use them for a variety of purposes. Sometimes they're used to carry injured persons from one place to another. Other times, we use them as weapons of war. We even use them to search and rescue others."_

 _"Re... mark... able..."_

 _"Those aren't the only flying machines we use. We use things called jets as well. Those are what we use to transfer cargo and large amounts of people to different parts of the world."_

 _"Is that... where Link...?"_

 _"I don't know, Zelda. Not too many people can survive a plane crash like that, especially way out in the Caribbean Sea like that."_

 _"He's... alive..."_

 _"Zelda, how do you know he's alive?"_

 _"I know... Charles. You... under... esti...mate... him... He... will find... a way. He... al... ways... does..."_

Puffs of smoke followed in Zelda's wake. Where ever the helicopter zigged, she zagged, disorienting the pilot. She moved and jumped from place to place, never staying still. Off into the distance, a mountainous hillside, covered in forests, loomed before her.

With freedom in her grasp, she rushed toward the forest, content that her diversion worked its magic on her pursuers. She jumped through bushes and shrubbery. Making her way toward the top of a tree, Zelda watched the police rush toward her location, bloodhounds in hot pursuit.

 _This body does not move the way I'm used to... I have to get away from those men. They don't know the danger they're in. The Demon King is coming. I have to prepare. I have to find Link. He is out there, somewhere in this world... he has no idea just how afraid these Terrans are of us._

 _Charles... I need your help..._

Zelda vaulted through the air. Throughout the night, she ran, never stopping for a moment. The Terran police officers would not stop their pursuit. They reminded her of an angry mob of Moblins, eager to tear into their master's enemies. As the night wore on, she found herself slowing down from tiredness, hunger, and fatigue.

Without thinking, she tripped over a root. She let out a muffled cry as she tumbled down a ravine. Pain surged down her right leg. Zelda landed on the ground with a thud.

She staggered to her feet, brushing her braid behind her. The sounds of dogs barking in the distance echoed through the forest. In spite of the pain, she made her way toward a stream. She hopped across the water, hoping that the water would mask her scent from the dogs.

A tingling sensation ran down her left side. Zelda's eyes widened.

 _No! Not here! Not now!_

Moments went on. Zelda found herself losing control of the right side of her body. The world fell away. She found herself, restored to her original feminine form, tumbling into a dark void. As the form of Charles ascended toward the light, she felt her body crystallize.

 _Charles... I'm sorry... you'll have to take it from here._

* * *

Charles' eyes snapped open. Confused and disoriented, he whirled around. He did not know how he ended up in this forest. When he glanced down at his body, his eyes widened.

 _Oh no..._

The sound of dogs barking grew louder. As the smell of morning dew filled the forest, Charles hurried onto his feet. His heart pounded in his chest. When he moved his right leg, stabbing pain shot up his body.

It took every ounce of willpower not to lower the cloth around his face and scream. He hobbled onto his feet. Seething, he broke into an agonizing jog. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted movement in the brush.

Bloodhounds barked, hot on his trail. Police handlers followed them. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Charles focused.

 _‹Remember our lessons, Charles. You will have need of them when the time comes. Move in the shadows.›_

 _‹I just hope I'm ready for this, Zelda.›_

 _‹I hope so as well. For the sake of our worlds, we must protect the Triforce of Wisdom. The Demon King cares not about how many lives he must extinguish to lay his hands on it. Trust no one—not even your own family...›_

"There he is!"

"Freeze, Aberrant!"

"Shit!" Charles shouted.

He focused his mind. Energy swirled around him as he ran. In a flash of light, he found himself crossing another stream. He could hear the dogs barking in panic. Charles dared not look back. Even as screams filled the air, he pushed onward in spite of the pain.

The ground rumbled beneath his feet. Charles lost his balance. He fell onto his right leg, screaming in pain. Trees toppled to the ground. The earth groaned and tore open.

Inhuman screeches filled the air. Abominations rushed toward the surface. Winged beasts tore through the ground with a screech, while tiny demons armed with pitchforks scrambled out of the ground. They raced toward the police officers, circling them like prey.

 _Kargoroks? Miniblins? What the fuck is going on?! Charles thought, Why are they bursting out of the ground like that?_

Screams pierced the morning light. Gunshots tore through the air. The kargoroks divebombed the officers, leathery wings flapping in the distance. As more monsters poured out of the earth, an armored demon came to the surface. It turned toward Charles.

 _«All shall bow before the might of the Demon King. Resistance is futile!»_

Charles ran as fast as his wounded leg could carry him. He had little time to ponder the appearance of a Darknut in this forest, much less the other Hyrulean demons that followed. He grabbed the pouch at his side. Fumbling through it, he pulled out a set of kunai.

 _Here goes nothing!_

He tossed the kunai through the air. They pierced the heads of the miniblins, sending them crashing to the ground. Black and crimson energy hissed around them. They vanished in a cloud of darkness. Charles turned his attention toward the Darknut chasing him.

 _Can't keep this up... losing focus... have to get... out of here..._

Charles tumbled to the ground with a scream. The earth shook under his feet. Off into the distance, he spotted a small cave. His heart pounding and adrenaline rushing through him, he focused, drawing out the magic flowing in his veins. A puff of smoke surrounded his body, and in a flash, he vanished from the scene.

In a flash, he collapsed onto the ground, heaving and gulping in air. His eyes dropped. Charles' focus waned. As a group of figures approached his prone body, the world around him faded into darkness.

* * *

 **Lost Hyrule - Aberrant Enclave**  
 **March 21, 2016 CE (23 Eldin, 1437 Hyrulean Reckoning)**  
 **4:00PM**

 _"Is that Her Highness?"_

 _"No, child... but it is someone who is here to help us."_

 _"Why is he dressed like lady Impa?"_

 _"Shhh, you'll wake him. Leave him be..."_

Charles' eyes fluttered open. Faces he did not recognize hovered over him. Startled, he crawled away from them. He smacked his right leg against a wooden object. Charles cried out in pain, hissing and nursing his leg.

 _"Now look what you've done! You've startled him!"_

 _"Don't look at me! You were hovering over him as much as I was!"_

 _"Well, I never!"_

Charles shook his head, lowering the cuff covering his mouth. He did not understand their words. Not wanting to bother figuring out their Hylian speech, he focused his thoughts.

 _«Who are you?»_

The group of Hylian Aberrant children turned to one another, their right eyes gleaming with an eerie light.

 _«Are you Terran?»_

 _«Mom said we shouldn't talk to Terrans. She says their dangerous.»_

 _«I hate Terrans! All they do is hurt us!»_

Charles let out an exasperated sigh.

 _«I'm not here to harm you. I came here because of Princess Zelda. You know, your leader?»_

The children's eyes widened

 _«Zelda! Where's Zelda?!»_

 _«What have you done with her, Terran?!»_

 _«Give us back our Princess!»_

 _"That's enough out of you three! Go finish your chores. I have business with this man!"_ An elderly woman's agitated voice rang out.

Not wanting to anger the voice any further, the three children darted out of the room, leaving Charles alone by himself. In their place, a large, portly Hylian Aberrant woman with pointed ears stepped into the room. A large apron covered her front. Two eyes peered back at him: a brown left eye, and a green right eye, which glimmered with the same eerie light as that of the children. Her face, covered in thousands of wrinkles, belied her advanced age.

 _«Please, forgive the children. They do not know any better. Her Highness informed us of your coming, Charles Alastair Victoria.»_

Charles let out a sigh of relief. He sat up against the sofa, wincing with every movement of his right leg. The woman sat a bowl of porridge down.

 _«Wait here. I have something for that leg of yours.»_

The Aberrant woman stepped out of the room. Charles placed his right leg on the table, elevating it. He glanced down at his ankle through the pants of his suit. Peeling away the leg, he stared down at his swollen, reddened ankle. Even touching it caused the pain to flare up.

 _Where's ibuprofen when you need some? An ice pack wouldn't hurt right now, either..._

He closed his eyes, reflecting on the events that brought him to this place.

 _First I'm soulbound to Zelda, and now monsters and demons from Hyrule are pouring out of the ground... Christ, what the hell is happening to my world?_

The smell of aged pine filled his nostrils. Charles glanced around the room, taking in the sights of the cabin walls. They reminded him of Monte Vista Ranch, and of the rides he used to take with Roland and his family.

 _Oh God..._

At the thought of his friend, he could do nothing to stop the emotion from bursting through him. He raised the cloth around his face and wept. Now more than ever, he wanted to see his friend again. His friend had left this world, his life destroyed by the Convergence.

 _I am in hell. I am in Hyrulean hell._


	13. Relentless Pursuit

**Soulbound**

Chapter IX - Link: Relentless Pursuit

 _Mobs of people stepped onto the train. Alex walked among them, holding a smartphone. Music played in her ears, drowning out the noise of the people coming and going from the train. Seeing no open seats, she grabbed a hanging strap._

 _"The doors are closing...," A recorded voice announced._

 _Moments later, the doors to the train automatically slid closed. With the ring of a bell, the MAX train took off. Alex glanced through a nearby window, taking in the lights of Portland. Behind her, a man rested his head against the window, his eyes closed and his mouth drooling._

 _A terrible stench filled the air. Alex's grabbed her jacket and pulled it over her mouth._

Oh god, not another one of these bums again. Why do they always have to sit behind me when I'm riding the MAX to Clackamas?

 _She glanced around. The MAX, filled to the brim with people, offered little opportunity for her to wait out her trip elsewhere. Even the other passengers around her covered their mouths and noses around the man._

 _"Main Street. Doors to my left and right."_

 _The MAX slowed to a stop. The doors opened, and passengers poured out of the train in droves. Others trickled into the train. Alex, not wanting to deal with the man's alcoholic smell, made her way toward the back of the train car. She took an empty seat, and breathed a sigh of relief._

 _"The doors are closing..."_

 _Alex rested her head against the seat of the train._

I can't wait to get home. It's been so long since I've been back. I wonder how Grandpa and Cass are doing...

 _For much of the trip, her mind wandered elsewhere, focused on nothing else but the faces of her grandfather and sister, the people she missed and cherished. Crowds of passengers flowed in and out of the train, carrying people across the Portland City Center. Eventually, Alex looked up at the destination ticker in the distance, which read "Clackamas Town Center"._

 _She got up from her seat, and walked toward the door. Grabbing onto a strap, Alex waited. She shifted her weight, adjusting herself to the slowing speed of the train. A woman's recorded voice rang out in the car._

 _"Clackamas Town Center. Doors to my right. This is the end of the line. Thank you for riding TriMet."_

 _The train came to a stop. The door opened, and Alex stepped onto the boarding platform. She moved down the stairwell, past a parking garage, and toward a large shopping mall in the distance. As the fading sunlight dimmed in the distance, Alex walked alone on the roadways._

God, what a nightmare. I never thought my imagination could be so fucked up. Lights turning people into Gorons and Zora? Me getting stranded out in the Caribbean? Better yet, running into Jabu-Jabu, of all things? Trippiest shit ever...

 _Minutes shifted into hours. The sky grew dark. Alex quickened her pace, not wanting to be out any longer than she already had. As she passed into a neighborhood of homes, her thoughts shifted back toward her family._

I wonder if Grandpa's awake? Probably not... he's not been staying up as late as he used to...

 _She turned into a nearby cul-de-sac. There, beside a pair of oaktrees situated in a small lawn, a familiar brown house appeared in the distance. Alex broke in a jog, and then into a full-on run. She darted through the streets and toward the house, her long-sought goal in sight. When she saw the lights on through the windows, a smile formed on her face._

 _Reaching into her pocket, Alex pulled out a set of house keys. To her confusion, the door to her home refused to unlock. Bewildered, she tried again. She held up her house keys in surprise._

What the hell? Why won't my keys work? Did Grandpa change the locks or something?

 _Unable to enter her own home, Alex knocked on the door. The shadow of her grandfather loomed in the windows. Rain drops began to fall from the heavens, drenching the earth. Alex wrapped her arms around herself. Her breath fogged the air around her, while she shivered from the growing cold._

 _The door to her house opened. Frederick stepped into the doorway. His eyes widened in shock, horror, and alarm at his granddaughter's appearance before him. Alex's confusion worsened. A sick feeling churned within her._

 _"Hey, Grandpa! I'm home from my trip..."_

 _Frederick took a step back. Alex gazed back at him, watching his body quake in her presence. He locked eyes with her, terrified and stricken by her._

 _"Who are you?" Frederick asked._

 _Alex shook her head. She found herself taken aback by his statement. Waving her hand in front of him, she took a step forward. In response, Frederick jumped backward._

 _"Grandpa, it's me! Alex!"_

 _Frederick's eyes widened. His face turned white. To Alex, he looked as though he stared at a ghost or a demon._

 _"No... it can't be... Alex is dead! She died in a plane crash..."_

 _Alex's eyes widened in alarm. Her entire body shook—not from the cold, but from the horror that coursed through her spine. She blinked, not believing his words. Once more, she reached out to him._

 _"Grandpa... I'm not dead! I'm right here! I made it back home, see?"_

 _At the sight of her bare hand, Frederick cried out in horror. Before his eyes, shimmering blue scales formed on the back of her right hand. Alex, too, gasped at the transformation taking place._

 _Pain ran through every inch of Alex's body. She collapsed onto her knees, screaming in agony. Fins burst out from underneath her forearms, tearing into the leather. She looked up at her grandfather, tears streaming down her face._

 _"Grandpa... What's happening to me?!"_

 _Like a knife stabbing into her heart, Frederick's voice rang out into the night._

 _"Get away! Get away from me, you monster!"_

 _He pushed Alex away from the doorway, and off the porch. She collapsed onto the ground. Hair merged and shifted into scales and blubber, becoming like a dorsal fin. Alex squeezed her eyes shut amid the pain._

 _"Grandpa! Don't leave me! Please, don't leave me!"_

 _Frederick stared down at her, aghast at the sight of her. He stepped back into the house, and slammed the door shut. Alex's sobs echoed through the rain and thunder. Her voice shifted and changed, becoming deeper, masculine, and aquatic. She opened her eyes, the world swimming around her._

 _ **"Grandpa!"**_

 _Alex reached up toward the door with a scaled hand. The world dissolved into a sea of white..._

* * *

 **Caribbean Sea**  
 **April 3, 2016 CE (36 Eldin, 1437 HCE Hyrulean Reckoning)**  
 **Early Morning**

Alex bolted awake, screaming into the darkness. Bubbles fizzed around her. She held her scaled hands in front of her, studying them in the dim light of unfamiliar surroundings. At the very sight of them, Alex burst into sobs, burying her face into her hands.

Now more than ever, she hated this body. She hated never knowing where she was. The thought of never being able to return home, to never see her loved ones again, ate away at her. Her grandfather's face, stricken with horror at the sight of her, haunted her mind.

 _Grandpa..._

She wrapped her arms around herself. The dream, raw and biting, lingered on long after it had ended. Alex shook her head, and willed herself to look around. Jagged, porous rock surrounded her on all sides. Underneath her, a bed of seaweed separated her from the rock—a bed she did not remember making.

 _"Get away! Get away from me, you monster!"_

 _No... Grandpa would never say such things to me. He'd never treat me like a stranger like that._

Despite her fears and misgivings, she pushed the bubbles away from the membranes that covered her eyes, and glanced at the sunlight streaming into the cavern beyond. Feeling her pulse slow, she pushed away the fears and misgivings that arose from the nightmare.

 _Okay. Let's get my bearings..._

Alex floated toward the cavern's entrance. Forests of seaweed swayed in the undersea currents. Schools of fish, exotic and colorful, wove through the greenery, unaware of Alex's presence. To her, the sight of them in the waters around her meant a plentiful supply of food.

Canyons and trenches lined the underwater landscape. She shook her head, unable to recall how she reached this place. Closing her eyes, she remembered dashing through the water in search of fish, followed by darkness. Brief flashes of consciousness, and of the ever-present fight for survival, stood out against the pocks of darkness that tore through her consciousness.

Sighing, she kicked her fins and swam out into the shining blue-green depths.

 _How long have I been stuck in this place? I don't know anymore. It feels like forever since I left that island behind. I hope Grandpa's doing okay._

Alongside her growing hunger, feelings of homesickness clenched her heart. She wanted to go home, to return to the life she had known up to this point. The sea, once a place that captivated and interested her in its exotic splendor and color, now felt like a prison—a cage she so desperately wanted to escape.

In the face of her circumstance, Alex whistled into the water. A song echoed through the kelp forest around her.

"Always look on the bright side of life...," Alex sang.

Her sadness, her misgivings, and the thoughts that accompanied them, became buried under the tune of the song.

"Always look on the bright side of life..."

 _Things have a way of working themselves out. I just have to be patient. Just a little bit longer. I'll find my way back home. I know I will._

* * *

 **April 15, 2016 CE (48 Eldin, 1437 HCE Hyrulean Reckoning)**  
 **Early Afternoon**

Alex crouched along the sea floor. Off into the distance, hidden within an abundance of kelp, a group of angelfish swam through the forest, grazing on bits of plankton and algae growing alongside the water. She tightened her grip along the makeshift net of seaweed, focused on the potential meal. She waited, still and motionless, as the fish swam toward her.

 _Wait for it..._

The fish grazed along the craggy rocks, oblivious to Alex's presence. She dared not move or make a sound. When the fish swam inches away from her face, Alex sprang into action. The fish, startled, moved to speed away from her, slipped out of her reach.

 _You're not getting away from me that easily!_

Alex slipped through the water, net trailing behind her. She chased the fish across chasms and canyons, determined to catch her meal. As the angelfish's body slowed, she wrapped the net around its body. She held the fish down, using the seaweed to grip it. Glancing around, Alex grabbed a nearby rock and bludgeoned the fish until it stopped moving entirely.

Blood fogged the water around her. She bit into fish's body, devouring its scaly flesh with haste. After several minutes, a spiny set of bones sank into the depths, the only thing that remained of her meal. Her hunger sated, Alex sped away from the scene, not wanting to linger any longer than necessary.

Her eyes scanned the waters beyond. Off into the distance, a dark looming shadow stood before her. Rotted wood jetted out of a canyon. Alex swam closer, and she found herself staring at a graveyard of sunken ships. The sight sent shivers traveling down her spine.

 _I think I've taken a wrong turn at Albuquerque again..._

Human skeletons lined the bottom of the sea. Striped eels darted along the surface of the sea floor, burrowing into the wooden remains of the ships. Frayed remnants canvas and clothing, long demolished by the salt water, flora, and fauna, hung limp and lifeless at the bottom. Only small rays of light pierced the darkness of the shipwrecks.

 _Whoa... they look like something out of the 1600s or something... I think I remember my old history teacher talking about the salt and sugar trades or something back in the day._

Alex shook her head, in awe at the sight of nature's fury. A part of her wanted to leave, to not disturb the graves of sailors and men lost long ago, while another felt curious. She closed her eyes in thought.

 _I mean no disrespect to you guys, but seeing as you're dead and I'm not, I hope you don't mind if I help myself to some of your loot..._

Drawing in large gulps of oxygen into her gills, she swam into the darkness, hoping to find something, anything that could help her reach land again.  
Alex wove in and out of darkness, dodging the broken, jagged planks of wood that jetted out from every direction. Interspersed among the rotted wood, large hulls of torn, rusted metal cut through the water.

Clutching the pouch at her side, Alex braved the wreckage. Fish and eels swam away from her shadow. She approached the ruined vessel with both excitement and trepidation. Wiping her fingers across the surface, she flicked caked-on dirt and sand off the metal, revealing black paint and a white designation.

 _Wow... is this a sub or something? I've never seen anything like this before..._

As her hands moved toward the door of the wreck, flickers of light danced in the corner of her eye. Alex's head darted around, in search of the source. She squeezed her eyes shut, feeling a sudden rush of lightheadedness. Her heart pounded in her chest.

 _Am I going crazy? Oh God... I have to get the fuck out of this ocean._

Wrapping her fingers around the rusted handle of the door, she pulled on it with every ounce of strength she possessed. The handle snapped off. Alex frowned and chucked the metal away.

 _I've got no time for this crap._

Alex swam away from the submarine. When she floated in the water several feet away, she charged through the water, ramming the door with her shoulder. The door snapped off its rusted hinges. She peered inside.

Fish swam around in a forest of rusted steel. Computer panels, eroded and spotted with barnacles, glimmered amid flickering lights. For a brief moment, Alex froze, startled by the sight.

 _This thing still has power? How? You'd think the current of electricity would've killed all the fish and stuff down here..._

Skeletons of crewmen long past laid strewn about the submarine. Alex kicked her fins through the water, pushing away the grisly sights around her. She traveled through doors and cabins, searching the vessel for anything useful. As she made her way through the collapsed ruins, she let out a gasp.

Among flickering white lights, the ruined surface of a glass map shimmered in the dark. Printed on its surface in glowing white lines, images of the seven continents, surrounded by their known islands, flashed before her. Alex swam closer, studying the map.

Buzzing noises filled the air. Her fingers traced its surface. Within the area marked the Caribbean Sea, a red light emitted a dim pulse of light. Alex studied the map with awe and reverence. Several inches away from the blinking red light, the island of Jamaica stood out to her. Its outline stood to the north-northwest of the blinking red light.

 _Holy shit, I think I've hit the jack pot..._

Hope filled Alex's heart. For the first time, she had her bearings. As her fingers studied the underwater canyons and trenches around the blinking red dot, she saw a path, a way out of this aquatic hell. Alex looked up and saw the broken, oxidized surface of a compass.

 _It's busted..._

Alex froze. Chills ran down her spine. A presence filled the air. Lights flickered, and everything went black.

Yelping in surprise, Alex looked around. Ethereal energy danced in the corner of her eye. She turned toward it. The ghostly figure of an aged man floated before her. His eyes bore into her own, begging and pleading.

 _"Get out..."_

She screamed at the top of her lungs, startled by the eerie sight. His figure floated toward her. The man reached out. Skin and hair crumbled away, leaving behind nothing but a skeleton. The pits where his eyes used to be burned with a white light.

 _"Get out of here..."_

Frightened, Alex focused. She held her forearm fins in front of her. They hardened and grew larger in response to her will. Narrowing her eyes, she braced herself for the worst.

"Who are you?!" Alex shouted, "Please, I meant no trespass! I just want to go home!"

 _"You do not belong here..."_

Alex shook her head.

 _Oh, that's just great. Not only did I stumble on a haunted shipwreck, I've made him mad. As if my life couldn't get any worse._

 _"Get out of here... Leave this place..."_

The ghost shambled closer to her, shifting between that of an aged skeleton and a flame of white light. Alex sliced at the water with her fins. They passed through the ghost like air.

His hands wrapped around her arms. Chilling sensations traveled down her arm. Alex swam away, alarmed. She darted through the dark wreckage.

All around her, more lights appeared. Phantoms of deceased men floated toward her with arms outstretched. Adrenaline pumped through Alex's veins. Gripped by panic, Alex searched her mind, for something, anything that could get her out of her current predicament.

 _And now I've pissed his friends off, too. Why does this shit keep happening to me?!_

Racing through the ruined vessel, Alex glanced up at a torn portion of metal. Ghosts trailed behind her, their skeletal faces piercing her own. She pushed the metal aside, hoping for it to lead out of the ship. Instead, it uncovered a portion of rock and sand.

Cornered, Alex pounded against the metal, cries echoing through the water. She squeezed her eyes shut, and shielded herself with her arms and fins. As her heart throbbed in her chest, energy manifested from the depths of her being. Without thinking, she screamed at the top of her lungs, her body surging with bio-electricity.

Voices clamored from every direction. Pocks of frozen cold surged down her fins. Alex gritted her teeth. Amid the terror that engulfed her, images of her grandfather and her sister flashed in her mind.

No longer did she find herself within the dark abyssal wreck of a submarine. Instead, she found herself standing in a playground. Warm sunlight beamed down on her. Alex shook her head, not believing her eyes.

 _What the—?!_

She lifted her arms and gazed down at human hands. Light-colored flesh poked out from underneath a leather jacket, a contrast to the silver-green scales she had known since awakening on a deserted island. Coppery brown hair danced in a spring breeze, while the laughter of children filled the air.

Off in the distance, two little girls played in a sandbox. Both girls, with hair like her own, laughed while building and toppling sand castles together. They cared little about their dresses, covered in sand. An older man—her own grandfather—stood watch over them as they plaid.

 _Grandpa... Sis..._

The vision of better days sent her reeling, more than the phantoms that chased her did. Tears welled in her eyes. Her homesickness, her burning desire to return to her loved ones, ignited within her like a furnace.

 _No... I won't do this... I've had enough of this fucking sea! I want to go home!_ _ **I want my life back!**_

Determination surged through her. Alex opened her eyes. Bio-electricity, summoned by otherworldly power flowing within her, surged all around her. One by one, the ghosts, mere figments of her imagination, vanished into thin air. Alex cried out at the top of her lungs.

"Get away from me! Get away from me, you bastards!"

Moments passed. Alex's gills worked in overdrive, drawing in gulps of precious oxygen. Lights flickered on and off around her—far removed from the hallucination that gripped her. Alex's breathing slowed. Her body calmed down. The energy, flowing sizzling hot, faded into nothingness. Alex floated to the bottom of the wreck, spent and exhausted mentally, physically, and emotionally.

"Fuck you... Fuck every single one of you. I've completely had it with your shit. If you so much as go anywhere near me again, I'll make you regret it! You hear me?!"

Silence followed Alex's angry proclamation. Only the songs of dolphins in the distance responded in any way. Alex collapsed into a heap on the sand. She held a hand up to her forehead.

 _Why? Why is this happening to me? I shouldn't have gotten on that plane. I knew it was a bad idea. I knew I should've just told Darcy no. If I had just listened to my gut... none of this would have happened..._

She curled her arms around herself. Burying her head into her lap, she became lost to her own tormented thoughts. A shadow loomed over her. Before she could react, she felt a heavy blow to the back of her skull. The world shifted in and out of focus. As the world faded into darkness, a silhouette appeared in the corner of her vision.

 _Who... are...?_

* * *

 **Caribbean Sea - Zoran Refuge  
Late Afternoon**

Whispers echoed around Link. His eyes fluttered open. Everything around him shifted in and out of focus. Sitting up on a slab of rock, he rubbed the back of his head, massaging the pain surging through his tail fin.

He did not know why his head hurt so much. One moment, he swam through the sea, following an undersea canyon in search of land. The next, he found himself here within this cavern. Closing his eyes, he shook his head.

Voices echoed throughout the cavern walls. Link opened his eyes. He gazed out toward a ramshackle wooden door. He blinked, confused by the sight.

 _Where am I? What is this place?_

Link slid his body off the bed, and immediately crumpled to the floor. The world swam around him, smothering him with vertigo. He gritted his teeth and pushed himself onto shaky legs. Holding a hand to his forehead, he hobbled toward the door.

The voices grew louder. He opened the door and stepped outside. Beyond an array of stalagmites and stalactites, a series of layered cave pools, lined with limestone and overflowing with sea water, stood out from under a waterfall. Within the pools swam a welcoming sight—a large group of Zora, laughing and playing in the daylight. Others walked around the cavern, talking amongst one another.

Yet as Link gazed at them, something did not feel right. One of their eyes burned with the same eerie light that ensnared them and their world. Others looked far more human than a Zora should, akin to the maddened hybrids that attacked him on the plane. From what he could see, these being still possessed their minds, a far cry from the ones he encountered within this world.

As he stepped into the light, the hybrids froze. Their eyes stared into his own, their faces full of fear. The Zoran hybrids whispered amongst one another. Link stopped in his tracks, not wanting to startle these people any further. The people whispered amongst themselves.

"Is he the one?"

"How can this be? I haven't seen a pure Zora since..."

"If the Terrans find us, we're done for..."

From the darkness of a nearby path, a figure called out to the others.

"Everyone, please. This stranger is one of us. He comes from Hyrule, the same as us. There is no need for such suspicion among our own."

The muscular figure of a male Zora stepped out of the shadows. He walked toward Link, his lips curled into a small smile. Link could not help but smile back at him. He stopped mere feet away from Link and offered his hand.

"Welcome, stranger, to our refuge. I am Raylos, the leader of this sanctum. To whom do I owe this pleasure?"

Link held up his hand. He clasped the sides of his face. Before their eyes, they watched as energy surged down every part of his body. His screams filled the cavern. The hybrids darted behind Raylos, frightened of the transformation of light unfolding before them.

A blanket of white light filled the chamber. Raylos and the others held up their arms, shielding their eyes from the spectacle. When the light faded, a Hylian figure in a green tunic appeared. A mask, depicting the face of a Zora, fell to the ground with a clang. Link fell onto his hands and knees, gasping for air.

The hybrids, too, gasped in shock at the sight of him. In place of the fear, awe and reverence washed over them. They ran to his side, helping Link back to his feet. Raylos gazed into Link's eyes, his left gleaming with the same light that flickered in their own.

"I am Link. Forgive me for meeting you like this..."

Raylos held his hand up. He picked up the Zora Mask off the ground and handed it back to Link. Link took the mask back, his face full of gratitude. Relief poured over the Zora.

"By the Gods... it really is you! The Hero still lives! There's hope for us after all!"

Amid the cheering, Link sensed desperation in the air. The eyes of the Zora begged and pleaded to him for deliverance. He held his hands up in the air, quieting them with his gestures. Link looked up at Raylos with a confused expression.

"Raylos... what has happened here? Where are we?"

Raylos' face turned solemn and grim. The others, too, gazed at their leader. In that moment, all excitement left the room. Raylos turned around, and gestured Link to follow.

"Those are questions I cannot easily answer here, Sir Link. Come with me, we will discuss the matter further within my chambers."

Link nodded and followed behind. Dim light glimmered from torches that lined the cavern. At the end of a long pathway, the two crossed an underground lake. The sight of the earth around him felt both hauntingly familiar and alien to him.

A part of him felt relief at removing the Zora Mask. Though its magic saved him from the drowning in the sea, it also clung to him, refusing to let go. Yet in the back of his mind, he knew this reprieve would not last. He would have to don the mask again.

 _Zelda... I'm coming. Please wait for me a little bit longer. I promise I'll never leave you again._

Raylos opened a wooden door. Link stepped inside the room. Few furnishings decorated the space. The chair and desk that lined the corner appeared worn and water-damaged. On the desk, however, stood a globe.

He did not recognized the landmasses and oceans depicted on its worn surface. The alien world depicted on the globe stood in contrast to the world of Hyrule. His heart sank in his chest. As Raylos picked the globe off the table, he hoped and prayed that the implications the globe presented remained false.

"The place you now stand in is a refuge of the Zoran people. We fled here from the Terrans who attacked and imprisoned us on the islands beyond here."

Link blinked at him, his face full of confusion.

"Terrans...?"

Raylos nodded.

"They are the humans of this world. Terrans are masters of technology far beyond anything our kingdom has ever known. This desk, as well as this globe, are Terran creations. However, their language is as alien to us as ours is to them."

Link raised an eyebrow.

"Is this why you fear them? Because you cannot understand them?"

Raylos shook his head.

"We fear them because they tried to destroy us, Hero. When we appeared before them, bathed in that wretched light, they grew afraid of us. They treated us like monsters and demons. Many of us tried to escape from them... but the Terrans are clever. They had ways of finding us, of rounding us back.

"Some of us were forced to entertain them, while others... met more gruesome fates. Others were simply driven off the land and into the sea. Those of us who survived their onslaught found their way here. As we speak, the Terrans are searching for us. They aim to recapture us, to enslave us... or worse, exterminate us entirely..."

Link's eyes widened. Raylos held the globe up in front of him. He spun it around, until his fingers stopped on the leftmost northern continent. Tracing the aged surface, his fingers traveled down the coat, stopping near a chain of islands along an equatorial sea.

"What little I know of the Terran language, they call this world 'Earth'. You stand within this sea. To the northwest are a chain of islands—the very ones we escaped from."

"I see..."

It took every ounce of willpower to prevent his legs from shaking. Link's greatest fear had come to pass—the light had spirited them away to another world. His worry turned toward Zelda. He did not know where she was, or if she still lived at all. Worse still, Ganondorf's monsters roamed the seas.

He felt afraid for everyone on this world—not just the Hyruleans, but the native Terrans.

Drowning out his fears, Link glanced up at Raylos, his face shifted into a determined frown.

"What has happened to Zelda? Do you know where she is?"

Raylos' fingers snaked around the globe, stopping by the eastern side of the nearby northern continent. He closed his eyes and sighed.

"Last I heard, she was being held prisoner by the Terrans in a place they call 'California'. It's somewhere within a place called the 'United States of America', located here..."

Link studied the globe, committing every location to memory. As he did so, Raylos glanced up at him with an apologetic glance.

"Seeing you as you are now, you are very different from the person I found sobbing at the bottom of a shipwreck..."

Confusion filled Link's mind. He glanced up from the globe at Raylos, perturbed by his words.

"Excuse me?"

"You looked so scared and frightened then... very different from the person I'm talking to now. At first, I thought you were a Terran, so I attacked you. Now, I realize my error. Forgive me, I had no idea it was you."

"Raylos... I don't remember being in a shipwreck at all. I don't have a clue of what you're talking about, aside from waking up with a nasty welt on my head..."

A realization dawned on him. The frequent blackouts, the constant waking up in unfamiliar places... had something influenced him? Did something take hold of him during that time, moving him from one place to another without his knowledge?

Link looked away, lost in his own thoughts. Raylos placed the globe back down on the desk.

"Hero... we are not what we once were. The light has twisted us in ways we cannot fathom. The ones you saw above are those like you and I, who have retained our sense of self. Every so often, our awareness fades, and we become... someone else entirely."

"What do you mean?"

"There is a Terran sleeping within each of us. The light has tethered us to their souls. Every so often, that light forces a shift inside of us. Our awareness fades away, and the Terran will awakens in our place. I've noticed it within the people here, and others have seen it within me at different times, too."

Link's eyes widened.

"Are you saying we're... possessed?!"

Raylos pursed his lips.

"I wonder... are we the ones who are possessed, or are we the ones who are doing the possessing...?"

Link shook his head, unable to find an answer to Raylos' question. His worries increased tenfold—not just for himself, but for Zelda, and the people of Hyrule and Earth. He, Zelda, and Ganondorf stood at the epicenter of that light on that fateful day, the day the world stood still for them all. If the light had afflicted him the same way it afflicted Raylos and the Zoran people here... then that would make finding Zelda that much harder. Worse still, he had no idea what had become of the Sages, or even if they still lived at all.

 _The Sages! Ruto!_

At the hinge of that thought, his worry shifted toward Ruto. His eyes widened at the thought of her being twisted by the light. Recalling the agony he felt on his arrival in this world, he could only imagine what she must have felt on that terrible night. He turned toward Raylos with a worried expression.

"Raylos, is Ruto...?"

Raylos closed his eyes. Instantly, Link felt a palpable sense of loss in the hybrid man before him. Raylos motioned for Link to exit the room.

"Come with me."

Link followed Raylos through the caverns in silence. Flashbacks of the plane drifted into his mind, and of fighting off maddened Zora amid a storm of light. Nothing could have prepared him for that night. When Raylos stopped before a cavernous chamber full of pools, he feared the worst.

Within the pools, faces gazed out into nothing, their eyes ablaze with light. Others waded through the shallow waters, shambling and moaning. More thrashed and screamed within pools of water, lost within themselves. It pained Link to see these people, reduced to nothing more than catatonic shells of their former selves.

 _No... it can't be! What has the light done to these people? Why are they like this?!_

At the far end of the cavern, in a large pool of water, a lone hybrid floated in the water, twitching and moaning. Eyes, glimmering with the same light that shimmered in Link's left eye, stared onward, vacant and lifeless. Raylos stopped in front of the pool of water, his expression full of sadness.

"We've done everything we could to help Her Highness, but the light has torn her mind asunder. We managed to bring her here and hide her from the Terrans, but at this rate... I do not know what to do with her."

Link stepped closer to the pool. His hands cupped her face, and he peered into her eyes. Instantly, he found himself drawn away from the cavern, and into pure, unrelenting madness. Along a backdrop of light, thoughts and emotions of two entities collided with one another, turning into a jarred, mangled mess. Two voices cried out- one belonging to Ruto, and another belonging to a human.

 _"I... am not... you... who... are you?"_

The other voice cried out in the same alien language the woman he rescued uttered on the plane. As time went on, he found the surge of light unbearable. Gritting his teeth, he called out to her in the storm of light.

"Ruto! Ruto, wake up!"

Light crackled and thundered around him. Ruto, too, howled in mental agony, unable to think and unable to reconcile the alien thoughts flooding her mind. His voice echoed around him, and for a brief moment, he felt Ruto stir. She glanced toward him.

 _"Link..."_

She shambled toward him. As the light smothered her will once more, she cried out into the white void.

 _"Link... help... me..."_

With a startled cry, Link found himself thrown back into reality. Taking in the salty air, he turned toward Raylos with a determined expression.

"She's not completely gone... She could still hear me in there, but I don't know what else to do for her, either..."

Link, hearing the sounds of ocean waters lapping up against craggy rock, darted toward the fading sunlight beyond. Raylos called out to him. Outside, Link stared into the vast sea around him. He held up the mask in front of his face. Raylos looked at him, his eyes full of fear.

"Sir Link, you don't intend to go back out there, do you?"

"I have to go, Raylos. I'm sorry. I know I just got here, and it pains me to leave you like this, but my voice wasn't enough to break her out of her stupor. I need to find Zelda."

"You don't understand! The Terrans are vicious monsters! They will find you, capture you, make you dance to their whim..."

"I will cross that bridge when I get there. For now, this is goodbye. I'll come back here with Zelda, and we'll restore everyone back to normal... I promise..."

Raylos closed his eyes.

"So there is nothing else I can do to persuade you not to go through with this?"

"As long as Zelda is in danger, I cannot rest. I have to find her..."

"I understand. Gods be with you, Hero..."

Link placed the Zora Mask back on his face. Surges of pain traveled down every inch of his body. Light snaked down his limbs and torso. Moments later, a Zora took the place of his original Hylian form. Without another word, he dove into the water and disappeared into the deep blue sea.


	14. Shadow of the Demon

**Soulbound**

Chapter X - Ganondorf: Shadow of the Demon

 **Nevada, United States - Palmaris Medical Research, Mojave Branch**  
 **April 4, 2016 CE (37 Eldin, 1437 HCE Hyrulean Reckoning)**  
 **8:00AM, Pacific Standard Time**

"Dr. Palmgate! Dr. Palmgate!"

"What can you tell us about your research on the Aberrants?"

"Do you have any comments regarding the disappearances along the Vegas Strip?"

"Sir! Sir, I just have a couple of questions—"

"Are the Aberrants in any way connected to the Pleasant Grove incident?"

"Is it true that the Aberrants are hybrids? If so, wha—"

Flashes of light assaulted Palmgate's eyes. He stepped out of a large, black limousine, paying no attention to the swarm of reporters surrounding him. They droned on around him, barraging him with question after question. Off into the distance, shining in the hot morning sun of the desert, the tall glass and metal building tore into the skyline. His eyes traced the letters engraved onto the side of building: Palmaris Medical Research.

He turned around, facing the mob of reporters one last time.

"Ladies, gentlemen, please. We are doing everything we can to help the Aberrants. We are working around the clock to find a cure and put an end to this madness once and for all. Now, if you will excuse me..."

He hated having so many eyes on him and his company. Although he wore an expressionless glance stepping into the building, he could do little to repress his disgust at the mob right outside his company's building. Out of sight from the reporters, he seethed in annoyance. He straightened his tie and glanced at the elevators. There, he spotted a familiar figure past the reception desk. He walked toward the elevator, briefcase in hand.

Brown eyes peered into his own, while a slender hand brushed dark strands out of her eyes. A dark mini-dress clothed her form, while a pair of heels clicked against the cold, metal floor. The woman glanced at Palmgate, and then at the mob of reporters outside their building. She pushed a button on the elevator. Before long, the doors to the elevators closed, and the elevator rose.

"Where is Dr. Phillips, Carmine?"

Carmine turned toward Palmgate.

"She is in the genetics lab, Dr. Palmgate. She said she wanted to speak to you regarding the DNA analysis you requested."

"I'm aware."

Carmine said nothing else. The way he scrunched his face, out of sight from the public eye, spoke volumes. Something had irritated him. She did not know what, and a part of her dared not ask the dreaded question. Palmgate hated small talk, especially when in a bad mood.

As the two of them waited in the elevator, the silence grew uncomfortable. When the elevator came to a stop, Palmgate turned toward her.

"Someone has been leaking information to the public. I want you to find out who it is."

Carmine blinked. "Sir?"

"We cannot allow our research to get into the wrong hands, Carmine. The consequences could prove most... disastrous. See to it that the perpetrator of this leak is found... and dealt with. Swiftly."

"Of course, Dr. Palmgate."

Before Carmine could step out of the elevator, Palmgate placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Use the utmost discretion in the matter. Trust no one..."

Carmine nodded her head. Palmgate pulled his arm away. The two of them parted ways in silence. Beyond the elevator, he passed by several researchers dressed in white lab coats. He cared little for their conversation, for only one of their colleagues stood on his mind.

He stopped at a set of double doors. Closing his eyes, Palmgate placed his hand on the nearby scanner. Blue light ran down his hand, while a droning hum filled the air. Moments later, the sound of a lock being undone filled his ears. He stepped through the door, and into the laboratory beyond.

Hovering over a microscope, a lone woman stood before him. Brown hair, streaked by gray, remained tied into a tight bun. Small wrinkles covered her cheeks, while a pair of slender hands fiddled with the knobs on the microscope. All around them, mechanical hands moved vials back and forth through scanners and containers.

"Matriona, why haven't you submitted your report on the Aberrants?"

His tone, full of impatience, tore at Dr. Phillips' mind. She pulled her eyes away from the eyepiece lenses. Her nose scrunched up, mirroring Palmgate's own irritation.

"That's 'Dr. Phillips' to _you_ , Arthur," She began, her tone hostile, "As for your analysis... that's what I wanted to talk to you about."

Palmgate crossed his arms. Dr. Phillips walked toward the computer. Her fingers danced across the keyboard. Information flooded the monitor, and within moments, images of a double helix appeared on the screen. Beside it, a photograph of a man with pointed ears stared back at them, catatonic and lifeless.

"I've completed analysis on this particular individual. As you can no doubt see, the system cannot differentiate him from a normal human. His genetic structure is no different from ours. He has the same number of chromosomes, the same genetic sequencing... the same everything as us. For all intents and purposes, the computer sees him and others like him as simply another branch of _homo sapiens_ —"

"Get to the point."

Dr. Phillips furrowed her brow. Clicking her mouse, she navigated the screen. Her fingers typed on the keyboard. Information streamed down the monitor. As the face of a rotund, humanoid rock-like creature appeared on the screen, error symbols flashed on the screen.

"I've been trying for weeks now, and so far, I've been unable to perform any sort of analysis on _this_ creature with the equipment we have. The way things are going... we're going to need to get the help of a geologist."

"And why is that? Please, explain what this has to do with the delays in your report!"

She motioned toward the monitor.

"Don't you see? Our equipment is unable to analyze or sequence this Aberrant's genetic code! It was designed for carbon-based life, not anything like this. We may as well be trying to analyze a _rock_!"

"So you are telling me that we are dealing with a silicon-based lifeform?"

Dr. Phillips nodded, exasperated.

"I've never seen anything like this! We've always theorized that silicon-based life could be possible..."

Palmgate shifted his weight. He narrowed his eyes at the screen, raising his brow in curiosity. On the screen, he spied an incomplete sequence. At the sight of the data, he felt some of his frustration subside.

"And what of the others? How do you explain the unique... _abilities_... the Aberrants possess?"

Dr. Phillips shook her head. She stepped away from the computer. Holding her chin in thought, she mulled over her words. A moment later, she turned to face him once more.

"That... is a mystery in and of itself. On a good day, I've managed to speak to the more lucid Aberrants. So far, we've not been able to pinpoint a source for their powers. From what has been described to me... they feel something akin to an adrenaline rush. This rush surges through them, culminating in a release of energy. On a bad day... well, you're the CEO. I'm sure you're well aware of our repair costs as of late..."

"Quite."

An uncomfortable pause filled the lab. The buzzing of machinery droned on. As vials turned on circular containers, she found her voice.

"I have reason to believe that we may be dealing with psychic phenomena as much as we are transformative. We have only just begun to peel away the layers of their condition! That is why my report has been 'delayed'!"

"The people demand an answer to the Aberrant problem. _Washington_ demands an answer. I'm sure you of all people can appreciate the gravity of this matter."

Dr. Phillips looked back at him, flabbergasted by his response. She curled her left hand into a fist. Her arm trembled in anger. Gritting her teeth, she stepped toward him and motioned toward the data on the monitor once more.

"You can't just sweep these people under a rug! These Aberrants have become something _more_! Something not of this world! Think of the potential for once! If we found a way to heal their psychosis, we could be seeing the dawn of the a new age!"

"You will _have_ that report on my desk by the end of the day, or I will find someone who will. Do I make myself clear?"

Palmgate clutched the handle of his suitcase, his voice low. He did little to hide the seething contempt he felt toward this researcher and her lofty aims. Dr. Phillips, stunned by his words, growled in anger at him.

"How can you act so _coldly_ toward these people? The Hylian Aberrants cannot control their powers any more than the Goron Aberrants their hunger for rocks, or the Zoran Aberrants their need for moisture! We must show these people compassion, not hostility!"

 _"Why do you call them_ _ **those**_ _names?"_

Dr. Phillips blinked. She no longer knew whether to be furious at her boss for his cruel, heartless words, or puzzled by his ignorance. Sighing, she returned an ambivalent gaze.

"Surely you have heard the rumors? It's all over social media... I'm surprised you haven't heard about it. There are a group of people who believe the Aberrants are manifestations of creatures from a video game... of some fantasy world called 'Hyrule'. I don't know if I buy the rumors myself, but even my colleagues admit that the resemblance the Aberrants share to the characters of that world are... uncanny, to say the least. Since we haven't found better names to distinguish them by, and considering that some of them possess verbal tics not unlike those described of the races of this 'Hyrule'..."

Palmgate shook his head, unimpressed with her explanation.

"I don't _care_ what you call the Aberrants. Just have damn that report finished, _Matriona_..."

Tightening his grip on his briefcase, Palmgate turned around and walked out of the lab. Dr. Phillips stood alone, at a loss for words. She no longer knew what to think about the sharply-dressed businessman who walked into the lab. The world at large knew Dr. Arthur Palmgate as a philanthropist, and a man who wanted to heal others. Now, she saw another side—the darker, corrupt side—the part of him that cared nothing for the suffering around him. As minutes passed, she forced her attention back to her work.

 _Something_ _ **must**_ _be done. Somehow, I have to find a way to help these people..._

* * *

 **5:00PM, Palmgate's Office**

Palmgate sat alone at his desk. Across from him, along a wall of LCD monitors, video recordings of an operation played. In them, images of doctors standing over a fish-like man. The creature's screams of agony echoed through the loud speakers. Eerie light flickered in the Aberrant's glossy black eyes.

He watched the scene with interest. Researchers, with scalpels in hand, nipped and scraped at the Aberrant's scaly hide. The Aberrant bore jagged, shark-like teeth as it howled in pain. Tugging at the restraints, guards held his arms and fins down. Words left the Aberrant's mouth.

'Ganon...'

Intrigued, Palmgate raised his eyebrow in interest. More unintelligible words flew out of the Aberrant's lips in ragged, watery breaths. Out of them, Palmgate picked up more phrases from the creature's language.

'Jabu... Jabu... L... Li... nk...'

Anguished cries followed. Unperturbed by the disturbing scenes on the monitors, Palmgate's thoughts drifted toward Dr. Phillips' words hours ago.

 _"The Hylian Aberrants cannot control their powers any more than the Goron Aberrants their hunger for rocks, or the Zoran Aberrants their need for moisture! We must show these people compassion, not hostility!"_

 _Why is it uttering those names?_ Palmgate thought.

Moments passed. The Zoran Aberrant struggled less and less, until he ceased to move entirely. Utterly still, the sound of a flatline droned in his ears. Palmgate snorted, watching the scientists attempt to revive the dying hybrid in their care.

A ding echoed from the nearby computer speakers. Pushing a button on his desk, the row of monitors pushed back into the wall. A series of glass shelves and wardrobes slid into place, hiding the monitors from view. He turned his attention to his computer.

Scrunching his face in annoyance, he spotted an email from Dr. Phillips:

 _To: Palmgate, Arthur_  
 _From: Phillips, Matriona_  
 _Subject: DNA Analysis Report_ _Dr. Palmgate,_ _Attached is my report on the Aberrants, per your request. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email me. We'll be in touch._ _P.S.: I hope you have considered what we discussed earlier this morning._ _Dr. Matriona Phillips, PhD_  
 _Psychologist and Director of Research, Genetics Division_  
 _Palmaris Medical Research — "For the advancement of humankind."_ _1 attached document:_

 _You are lucky I hadn't begun the process of..._ _ **ending**_ _your employment, Matriona..._

Without another word, Palmgate opened the attached report. His eyes scrutinized the document on the screen, taking in every detail of the report.

 _Subjects display varying levels of DNA hybridization... Subject B requires further analysis. Unable to determine sequence variation with current equipment. While hypothesis could not be fully tested, chemical pattern shows similarities to silicon..._

Palmgate rolled his eyes.

 _Oh, Matriona... ever so short-sighted, aren't you?_

He reached into his briefcase, and pulled out an aged tome. Engraved on its cover, the symbol of a serpent, coiled around two worlds, stood out among the dust and debris. He flipped through the pages of the tome.

 _You know too much, Matriona._

Glancing up from the pages of the book, he pushed a button. Through the intercom on his desk, the calm, collected voice of Carmine called out to him.

"Yes, Dr. Palmgate?"

Palmgate smiled.

"Carmine, please get in touch with a Mr. Josiah Harkness. Tell him that I am in need of his... _services_ once more."

"Of course. Will that be everything?"

"No. I believe that will be all. Have a good evening, Carmine."

"You as well, sir."

With a click, her voice faded into silence. A smirk formed on Palmgate's face. Turning the pages, his fingers stopped on the aged parchment. Depicted on the pages, three figures carrying triangles waged war with one another. Looming over them, the foul serpent bore fangs down at them.

 _The High Ones... the vessels of the Three. I know they are out there, walking among us. I will find them... and relinquish them of the power that flows unabated inside their flesh. Not even the gods of this 'Hyrule' can stop what has been set in motion now..._

* * *

 **6:00PM, Palmgate Manor**

Palmgate watched the limousine drive through the darkening street. His fingers thumbed through the tome in his hand once more. Off into the distance, he spotted the familiar mansion. As the vehicle pulled up to the electronic gates, he expected armed guards patrolling the perimeter of his home. Instead, he found nary a soul. The driver turned to gaze at him, his expression solemn.

"Sir?"

Reaching into the pockets of his coat, he pulled out a remote. With the push of a button, the gate leading to the mansion slowly opened. Palmgate looked up at his driver with a cold, emotionless stare of his own.

"Drive."

The limousine continued on. Goosebumps ran down Palmgate's skin. Never before had he felt such malevolence in the air. Only the Aberrants in his company's care have ever made him break his collectedness. He knew something had happened in his absence... and he aimed to find out what.

All around the road, the bodies of armed guards laid along the gravel, torn and minced into heaps of meat. Streaks of blood spattered the road—the very picture of carnage. In spite of the growing anxiety in his mind, he remained stoic in the face of whatever lurked in his home.

"Stop the car."

"Sir?"

"You heard me. Stop. The. **_Car._** "

A moment later, the limousine came to a halt. Palmgate reached under his seat, and pulled out a revolver. He looked up at the driver.

"Call the police. Inform them that there is an intruder on my property. When you have finished... _leave_."

"What about you, sir?"

"I will be in touch. Now... _go_."

The driver hesitated for a moment, unsure of his employer's intentions. Palmgate walked down the dark road toward his house, unflappable amid the carnage around them. He shook his head, and not wanting to meet the same fate as the other unfortunate guards, he turned around and drove off Palmgate Manor.

Palmgate walked up the steps to his home. The large, varnished oak doors loomed over him. Through the windows, he saw the lights through the windows, which still glowed in the growing darkness. On the ground, the brass handle of the door laid broken and defaced. Taking in a deep breath, he stepped through the ajar doors.

"Mansfield? Locksley? Are you there?" Palmgate called out.

Silence lingered in the air. Only his own footsteps signaled any sign of life. Narrowing his eyes, he cocked his revolver, eager to find who—or what—had invaded his property.

A hiss rumbled in the air. He glanced around, frantic and paranoid of the sound. Palmgate made his way into the living room.

"Hello? Is someone here?"

Shadows darted out of the corner of his eye. He whirled around, taking in the low hiss buzzing through the room. Palmgate sensed a presence and felt himself tense. As he glanced up at the ceiling, a roar resounded.

Before his eyes, a reptilian monstrosity leapt on top of him. The monster smacked him across his face, sending him careening onto the ground. His vision swam. More abominations danced in his vision. The world went dark.

* * *

 **11:00PM, Caesar's Palace**

Palmgate's eyes fluttered open. The world shifted in and out of focus. Humanoid shapes swam in and out of his vision. Hazy words drifted through the air.

"So this is the guy the boss wanted?"

"Hey, it's that big shot researcher on TV!"

"What do you think the boss wants with a big shot like him?"

"Shhhhh! Be quiet! The boss will hear you! He's got eyes and ears all over the place, man..."

His head throbbed. Palmgate's eyes shifted to the gray upholstery beside his cheek. As clarity returned to him, he found himself tied and gagged in the back seat of a car. He looked up, and found himself surrounded not by the inhuman monsters that attacked him, but by thugs.

Palmgate thrashed against the seat. He tried to rip away the rope that bound his hands behind him to no avail. Kicking his feet, he could do nothing to loosen the cords around his ankles. The thugs glanced around, their eyes wide and dialated.

"Lookie here, guys! Sleeping beauty's woken up!"

Cackles and laughter rang out throughout the car. Palmgate glared up at them with icy eyes.

"Not so tough without your guards, are ya?"

Unfazed by his bravado, Palmgate turned his attention to his outside surroundings. The familiar glitz and glamor of the Vegas Strip broke through the tinted windows. A flicker of dread filled his heard.

 _The Strip... The Los Verracos! I should have known... this is where the disappearances have been happening. This... This must be around Caesar's Palace... Why have these low-lifes brought me here? What do they want with_ _ **me**_ _?_

He remembered the headlines. It began with the death of Luis Ferradino, the former drug lord who once ran the casino. No one knew who killed him, nor did anyone mourn his death. He remembered the rumors that swept the town... and the fear. No one could forget the fear, the terrible sensation that lingered along the Strip.

After that... a haze seemed to fall over the area. People did as they always did around here—they gambled. They had affairs. They threw their earnings and livelihood away, without a care or concern...

 _'What happens in Vegas... Stays in Vegas'..._

A new face had taken over the casino, or so the rumors went. No one knew who the new owner was. As Palmgate's thoughts turned toward the mystery that had swept over the area, a chill ran down his spine.

 _It seems... that I will have the misfortune of meeting the new... 'owner' of this establishment._

He closed his eyes and waited. As minutes passed, he heard the car drive through a parking lot, followed by an alleyway. The car that held him prisoner slowed to a halt. Doors opened, and he felt a blindfold being tied around his face.

Palmgate remained calm and collected. They drug him into a building. He did not know where they took him. Footsteps pounded through the halls. A cacophony of noise filled his ears, from slot machines to card dealers placing bets to dancing and music drifting into the night.

The noise soon faded away, replaced only by the thugs and their droning footsteps. He felt them move him up several flights of stairs. As they made their ways through the hallways and offices that made up the casino's underside, music of a different sort rang in his ears.

 _A... pipe organ?_

Loud and ominous, the song grew louder and louder. Shudders coursed through his body. Never before had such a melody intimidated Palmgate. His inner voice screamed at him, begging him to flee. A part of him, however, wanted to unravel the mystery that laid before him.

Palmgate sensed the hesitation of his kidnappers, yet he dared not move. A loud knock interrupted the dark melody.

"Boss? It's Diego! We got 'im!"

The song stopped. Silence followed. Palmgate held his breath. A deep baritone voice called out.

"Enter..."

A door knob turned. Before Palmgate knew it, he found himself drug into a room. The thugs removed the blindfold covering his face. Seated in front of an ornate pipe organ, Palmgate found himself staring at the back of a large man.

Long, vermilion strands of hair, tied into a huge ponytail, hung down his back. A black coat, patterned by thin red stripes, covered his body and arms. A matching pair of dress pants, not unlike his own, clothed his lower legs. Glistening in the dim light, a set of dark dress shoes, larger than any pair he had ever seen, adorned his feet.

The figure stood up from the organ. Despite his veneer of calm toward the figure, Palmgate marveled at the man's sheer height. The figure turned around, scratching his small beard in appraisal at Palmgate. Dark skin framed a sunken gray left eye, while an eyepatch covered his right eye.

Images flickered in Palmgate's mind. A dark figure, wreathed in flame, surrounded by monsters not of Earth, his right eye gleaming with the eerie light possessed by the Aberrants. No one could mistake the shadow from that incident, the incident that drove public fear of the Aberrants. He remembered the news reports regarding the Pleasant Grove Incident all too well...

 _So this is where you've been hiding, 'Demon King'..._

"Untie him...," the figure commanded.

The thugs nodded their heads. Placing his body on the ground, they undid the ropes that bound him. They hoisted him onto his feet, and pointed guns at him. The figure held up his right hand.

"Leave."

Without another word, the thugs nodded their heads and stepped out of the room. From behind the man, a woman dressed in a bikini walked toward the door. She locked the door, leaving Palmgate alone with the abomination in front of him.

"Doctor Palmgate," the figure began, "Your work... is of great... interest... to me..."

Palmgate raised his eyebrow.

"Is that so?" Palmgate asked, "I must admit, I was not expecting _this_ from you at all... **Demon King**."

Ganondorf snorted and folded his arms at Palmgate. He circled around him, sizing up the man his lackeys brought before him.

"So... you know of **me**. Interesting..."

"Your reputation precedes you. We know of you, and your cycles of conflict with the Hero and the Goddess. Now, I did not rise to my position by being stupid. I know what you are, and what you are capable of. What is it you want from me?"

A smirk formed on Ganondorf's face. He clasped his hands behind his back, and turned away from Palmgate.

"How... _perceptive_ of you, Terran. Perhaps... you may be... of greater use to me... after all..."

Palmgate motioned toward Ganondorf, as if in expectation. Ganondorf glanced back at him over his left shoulder, peering at him with a lone gray eye.

"You wish... to cure our... condition, do you not?"

Palmgate nodded.

"It is a goal of mine at this time, yes."

"Terran blood... courses through my veins." Ganondorf shook his fist, seething in anger, "I can feel it... flowing... within me. I can feel... _him_... squirming, writhing within me. You will rid me... of this Terran essence."

"I see."

Palmgate held his chin in thought. Ganondorf turned around, and studied him once more. Though he loathed to admit it, this Terran man intrigued him. The audacity, and the sheer arrogance Palmgate carried about himself in his presence belied a mystery. Underneath a calm facade, the gears in his mind turned.

"Perhaps, an... _agreement_ can be made. As we 'Terrans' like to put it, 'You scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours'. I can help you 'purge' our essence from your vessel, but I want something in return."

Intrigued, Ganondorf raised his eyebrow. He waved his hand, motioning for Palmgate to continue.

"What is it... you desire, Terran? Money? Power? ... _Women_?"

Palmgate held his hand up and shook his head.

"No," He began, "I want... _information_."

"On...?"

"The Hylians and the Sheikah."

Ganondorf pursed his lips, unimpressed with Palmgate's request.

"Is that... _all_... you desire?"

"Perhaps a few... _favors_ can be exchanged here and there, but mostly that. The Gorons, Zora, Deku... they are all of little consequence to me. I find their... spirituality... _lacking_ , to say the least."

A moment of silence lingered between the two. A chuckle escaped Ganondorf's lips, and before long, it devolved into full-on laughter. In spite of his reaction, Palmgate remained cool and composed, eager to hear his thoughts on his proposal.

"What sort of... 'favors'?"

Palmgate stepped closer to Ganondorf. He cocked his head at him, his eyes gleaming with intrigue. As moments passed, he held his palm out in offering.

"I told you before. I did not get to where I am today by being a fool. You are looking for 'them' are you not?" Palmgate paused and cocked his head in the other direction. "Even with your drug cartel and sorcery to assist you, there are seven billion people on this worthless rock. That is a lot of bodies to wade through, even for you. I have connections—connections to those skilled at 'finding' things. My connections can help you find 'them'."

Ganondorf raised an eyebrow at Palmgate's proposal. He did not know what to think about this man's interest in his pursuit of his nemeses. The faces of Link and Zelda flashed in his mind, fueling his hatred of the two. Sensing his concern, Palmgate held up his hand.

"I care nothing about your conflict with the Hero and the Goddess as a whole. Whether or not you choose to destroy this world is of no consequence to me. I simply wish to see how it all... _ends_. Will we all burn in a sea of fire and brimstone, or will it be our own hubris that finally ends our miserable existence? Either way, I wish to watch... and _observe_."

Turning away from him, Ganondorf stepped toward the seat of his organ. He ran his fingers across the cold, brass surface. A chuckle escaped his lips. Glancing over his shoulder, he returned a smirk at the man standing before him.

"You drive... a hard bargain, Terran."

Ganondorf turned toward the scantily clad woman guarding the entrance to the room. She nodded her head, her eyes dull and lifeless. Palmgate turned toward the woman.

"We will be... in touch, Doctor Palmgate."

As if in response to an unseen command, the woman nodded her head. She shifted her gaze toward Palmgate.

"Right this way, please," she stated.

The woman unlocked the door, and motioned for Palmgate to exit the room. He followed her outside, eager to see the outcome of their meeting. Closing his eyes for a moment, he mused on their encounter.

 _Things are about to change. If this is any indication, something is about to happen. I can feel it_ , he thought to himself, _I know not what he is planning to do, but I do hope he chooses to at least call my secretary next time he wants to make an appointment to speak with me. Still... this may yet prove to be an_ interesting _venture..._

* * *

Flickers of light flashed on the television screen. Various monsters and thugs watched the image of a news anchor. Her voice droned on, while stills of the day's events appeared beside her. Strips of red light, emblazoned with the words 'Breaking News' tore through the lull of the evening.

"Police in Greenbrae, California are still searching for the whereabouts of college student-turned-Aberrant Charles Victoria, who was last seen fleeing from the authorities two weeks ago. A twenty thousand dollar reward has been issued. If you or anyone you know has any information regarding his disappearance, please call the sheriff's hotline..."

A mugshot of an effeminate man appeared beside the news anchor. Two eyes, a brown left eye and a blue right eye, stared back at the gathering. Long strands of golden blond hair tumbled down the sides of his face. To the crowd of men and monsters, he appeared more like a woman than he did the man alleged by the news anchor.

The thugs watched with mild interest, taking puffs out of their cigarettes as they did so. Loud, pounding footsteps echoed behind them, followed by a low growl. Ganondorf stepped out of the shadows. He watched the news report with immense interest. A smug smile of satisfaction formed on his face.

 _So there you are. I've finally found you..._ _ **Zelda**_ _._


	15. Into The Coming Storm

**Soulbound**

Chapter XI, Part I - Zelda/Ganondorf: Into the Coming Storm

 **Lost Hyrule, Hateno Village Ruins - Aberrant Enclave**  
 **March 24, 2016 CE (26 Eldin, 1437 Hyrulean Reckoning)**  
 **1:00 PM**

 _Charles walked through the desolate town around him. Blue and white light shone over the landscape, protruding out of the bedrock above. Fields, once vibrant and green, laid barren and lifeless. He paid little attention to the child Aberrants playing around him. In front of him, the old woman continued on, motioning toward a large, ruined house in the distance._

«Do you know where you are, Terran?»

 _Startled, Charles looked up at the woman. She glanced at him over her shoulder, her gleaming right eye piercing the darkness. He shook his head at her._

«The place where you now stand was once the village of Hateno. Now, this place among others is all that remains of the lost world of Hyrule... the world we once called home...»

 _The woman's tired voice trailed off. She stopped for a moment, and pointed towards the jagged, crystalline stalactites that hung from the cavernous earth above._

«With every passing day, more and more of this land is being pulled toward the surface... toward your world. Soon, this place, our last bastion of safety will be consumed by the light. If only the Hero were with us now...»

 _She waved her hand and motioned for him to follow._

«Come... there is something you and Her Highness should see.»

 _Charles nodded, his face solemn. A precarious peace washed over the remnants of the town. The adults around him moved past him, and rushed toward the steps leading to a glimmer beyond the trails of light above them. As the old woman lead him closer to an old house at the end of a dirt road, the sight of the Aberrants and their poverty morose and sobering._

I had no idea about any of this. How long have these people suffered like this? It feels like such a long time ago... So much has happened since the Convergence swept across the world...

 _The old woman opened the door. She motioned for him to enter. He stepped inside the house. A gasp escaped his lips._

 _Several Hylian Aberrants wandered the home, lost in catatonia. Charles felt his heart sink at the sight before him. He had so little contact with other Aberrants at the time—a machination of a father trying to spare his shameful son from the truth. Untold sorrow filled his thoughts at their condition._

 _Within them, he sensed the minds at war within them. Unable to reconcile the differing thoughts, they moaned and cried out, uttering incomprehensible words that neither he nor the aged yet sane Aberrant behind him could piece together._

I can only imagine what Zelda must feel, seeing her own people like this. I'm not royalty, nor am I from Hyrule, but this... there are no words for how awful this is...

 _The old woman moved in front of him. He followed her down into the basement of the house. Descending into the darkness, the woman's voice called out in his mind._

«Perhaps it is for the best that Her Highness is not here to see this... I do not think Lady Impa would wish for the Princess to see her as she is now...»

«What do you mean?»

 _The old woman fumbled through her pockets. Metal jingled in the air. Wrapping bony fingers around a large brass ring, she pulled out a set of keys. She held a lighter in her left hand while moving keys through the locked door._

«You will understand soon enough, young man.»

 _Nothing could prepare Charles for what he saw. As he entered the room, he found a tan-skinned figure laying comatose on a bed. Long strands of silver hair laid strewn around her bed. Two widened eyes stared into nothing, burning with an eerie light: a brown left eye and a crimson right eye. A familiar symbol adorned her clothing—a crying eye, framed by three triangular lashes above it._

No...

* * *

 **April 6, 2016 CE (39 Eldin, 1437 HCE Hyrulean Reckoning)**  
 **8:00 AM**

 _"What has... become of... Impa, Charles?"_

 _"I'm afraid she's... lost to us right now. I tried to call out to her on your behalf, but nothing I did could awaken her from her vegetative state. She's not like us at all... it's like she's lost inside herself, torn between two minds..."_

Zelda stared into the stream of white light above. The earth groaned and shook above and below her. Underneath a mask of calm, her thoughts ran in every direction.

 _"I see..."_

 _"Zelda... is there something you're not telling me?"_

She walked along the barren dirt road. Outside of a house, children gathered, watching her with glimmering eyes. Like her own right eye, they too bore the twisted light that tore their world asunder. With books in hand, she stepped toward the ramshackle building.

 _I must find a way to restore the others. If I can reach out to them and call them back from the pull of the Convergence, I may be able to restore Impa. Perhaps she may still know what has become of the others. I cannot leave my people as they are._

 _"Charles... what do you know about the Sages?"_

 _"I know they're the ones that usually help you and Link seal Ganon away... or so the story goes, anyway..."_

 _"...Then you know... what must be done. We must... find a way... to restore Impa... and awaken... the others."_

 _"Well, that's great and all, Zelda, but I don't think my people will settle for sealing him away. On top of that, Link is gone..."_

Memories of Charles' words echoed in her mind, stinging her heart. Link's face haunted her, as did his voice calling her name in the white void. The thought of being without the Hero, the champion who protected the people, filled her with pain unimaginable. Yet in the face of that grim thought, she could not give up hope.

Somewhere in the world above, Link still lived. In the face of impossible odds, he always found a way to survive, to return and fight another day. For a brief moment, she closed her eyes.

 _I know you are out there somewhere. I know you will come back. I have always believed in you. Even lost in this world, the Goddess Hylia must be watching over you. Until that time comes... until we are able to meet again, I must do what I can to protect the Terrans from the Demon King._

The rumbling of earth filled the air. Rocks tumbled from the cavern ceiling above. Beneath their feet, the ground shook around them. Startled by the quaking around them, the children cried out for help.

As Zelda struggled to maintain her footing amid the shaking earth, goosebumps ran down her skin. Sickening, dreadful feelings manifested in the back of her mind. Beyond the rays of light that lead to the world beyond, black mist poured into the realm of Lost Hyrule.

 _No... it can't be!_

Dark shapes flew into the ruined village. All around her, children and adults alike gazed up at the monstrous forms of keese swarming and flying down on them. Serpentine Lizalfos and porcine Moblins soon flowed into the village. The men grabbed what weapons they could, and rushed toward the entrance to the world above.

"Your Highness! Get away from here! They're pouring out of the portal!"

Before Zelda could react, the leathery wings of a kargorok burst through the portal, and snatched the man into the air. His screams blended in with the countless others fleeing in terror. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted swarms of keese racing toward her.

She jumped in front of a crying little girl, pushing her onto the ground. The swarm swooped by them, missing them by mere inches. Zelda glanced up and watched the children flee into the nearby home. She pulled herself away from the little girl's body and pointed toward the house.

"Get inside with the others!" Zelda commanded.

The little girl nodded her head vigorously, and raced inside. Zelda turned her attention toward the large house in the distance.

 _Impa... I have to get her out of here!_

Focusing her thoughts, a shimmer of light appeared in her right hand. When the light faded, she grasped her fingers around the handle of a rapier. She ran toward the house. Hisses and snarls resounded amid the screaming. The shape of a Lizalfos darted in front of her, blocking her way up the steps.

Roaring, the Lizalfos charged at her. Zelda darted to the side, its jagged blade slicing through her sleeves. She thrust her blade into the monster's neck. The Lizalfos crumpled to the ground, and let out shrill screams of pain. As Zelda stepped back toward the home, the Lizalfos began to dissolve into darkness.

She turned around and rushed into the home. All around her, the lost ones moaned and cried out to her. They shambled toward her, arms outstretched.

"Ganon...dorf..."

"He... is... coming..."

"Demon... King..."

Zelda pushed them aside and rushed downstairs toward the basement. She ran into the darkness, and collided with the wooden door. Pounding against the door, Zelda gathered her strength and kicked the door off its hinges.

 _I must admit... this body does have its advantages, but... there is no time. I have to bring Impa to safety before the Demon King finds us!_

With listless glowing eyes, Impa sat up on the bed. She pointed at Zelda, who rushed to her side.

"Coming... The Demon King..."

"I do not know if you can hear me, old friend, but I am here to get you out of here! It is too dangerous for us to be here any longer! Ganondorf... he has found the Hateno Enclave."

Zelda cupped her hands under Impa's head. With all the strength she could muster, Zelda lifted Impa off the bed. Her body strained under Impa's weight. She inched her way up the stairs. Averting the eerie gaze of the other lost Aberrants, Zelda brushed passed them.

 _I am so sorry, everyone. Please forgive me..._

She pushed the door open with her shoulder. A group of men gathered outside the home.

"Your Highness! We have to get you out of here!" A man called out.

Seeing no other option, Zelda watched the men walk up the stairs, and retrieve Impa from her arms.

"We'll see Lady Impa to safety, Your Highness! You can count on us!"

"Hurry! Leave this place before the Demon King finds you!"

Armed with swords and bows, the men surrounded Zelda. They raced through the ruined village, fighting off demon after demon. Shrill, demonic screams pierced the air. Swarms of men, women, and children rushed toward the lone portal leading beyond their sanctuary. Others rushed into the ruined homes to rescue the lost Aberrants still inside, unaware of the chaos happening around them.

 _How did he find this place? We had cast every enchantment we could, to conceal the entrance to the Enclave! How is this happening?_

Zelda had little time to react before crossing the threshold. When she emerged from the ribbons of light, she found not a forested mountainside, but fire and destruction. Monsters swarmed around the location, screeching in the midday sun. Flames brushed against her face.

Keese pierced the burning canopies. With a cry, she sliced her rapier through the air. Screeches pierced her ears. Several of them fell onto the ground around her, bleeding and broken. Off into the distance, she spotted some abandoned campgrounds. As she ran, the sound of bullets whizzed past her.

She looked down the open road to her left. Swarms of armed soldiers, riding in armored cars, aimed their guns at the swarms of Keese bombarding them from the air. Puffs of black and red smoke manifested around them. From the clouds of darkness, monsters rushed headlong into the gunfire. Moblins crumpled onto the ground in bloodied heaps, while Lizalfos leapt and evaded the bullets.

 _The Terrans... they have no idea what they're up against! Ganon is going to slaughter them if I don't do something!_

"Fall... back!" Zelda shouted at them, "Get... away!"

Explosions rocked the landscape. Zelda glanced up above, and saw planes tearing through the skies. One by one, the dropped mortars down onto the monsters. She cried out as she darted to the side, narrowly evading the plumes of fire and smoke. Scaled limbs sprayed the earth crimson.

All around her, black and red fog blanketed the area. Monsters appeared from the fog, and laid siege to the armored vehicles. Flashes of gunfire tore through the darkness. Screams of men in camouflage punctuated the inhuman roars and screeches of demons. Zelda ran as fast as her legs could carry her.

She dared not look back at the monsters that pursued her through the grove of trees and greenery. Following the road, she passed by a parking lot full of abandoned cars. Soldiers stormed the area, opening fire on the Lizalfos and Stalfos approaching them. As Zelda ran down the open road, goosebumps rippled across her skin.

An aura of hate and malice poisoned the air. As Zelda ran into a grove of trees, a swirling vortex of black and crimson energy materialized. Terrans, armed with guns, poured out of the portal, their eyes glimmering with a crimson light. Zelda could only watch from behind the foliage as they opened fire on the soldiers in the area.

More monsters appeared from the portal, and joined them in the slaughter. As moments went on, a familiar warmth permeated the back of her right hand. Her eyes widened in horror at the menacing figure that walked out of the portal. Zelda clasped her mouth shut to suppress her screams of horror.

Greaves clanked across the pavement. A long crimson mane flowed in the wind. The figure of Ganondorf walked toward the soldiers, glowering at them with disgust and hatred. The mark of the Triforce of Power burned across the back of his right hand. Despite the overwhelming desire to flee, Zelda focused on the soldiers as they gazed back at him with horror.

"My God, it's him!"

"The demon of Pleasant Grove..."

As the soldiers opened fire, Ganondorf made no attempt to dodge their bullets. Shells bounced off the ground. He approached them, unflinching and undeterred by their attacks. Within seconds, his wounds healed and regenerated, and his armor soon followed. Gripping the trident in his hand, red lightning crackled around the jagged prongs.

Dark, terrible laughter filled the air. Zelda focused her thoughts, and called out to the soldiers.

 _«Run away! Get out of here! He and his monsters will kill you if you don't flee!»_

The soldiers glanced around, unable to discern the source of the female voice speaking to them. Ganondorf smirked at the soldiers and chuckled at their attempts to harm him. He swung his trident. A wave of black and crimson energy surged toward them. Men and vehicle alike catapulted across the ground. The soldiers grunted and pushed themselves back onto their feet. Stalfos charged at them with blackened blades. Desperate, Zelda pleaded to them once more.

 _«Your weapons cannot harm him. Please, I am begging you! Save yourselves! Flee while you still can, before it's too late!»_

Gunfire and horror stained the earth red. Ganondorf stood in silence, taking in the carnage and misery around him. More Terrans and monsters appeared from the portal. Moments later, the portal collapsed in a crackle of energy. They gathered around him, as if awaiting further orders.

"Bring her to me."

The Hylian words chilled Zelda to her very core. For a brief moment, Ganondorf glanced over toward the grove of trees where Zelda hid. She stood in place, frozen by the sight of him. She dared not move or even breathe. Monsters and Terrans under his control darted off in every direction, save for her hiding place. Zelda squeezed her eyes shut.

 _Hylia protect us..._

Her heart pounded in her chest. For several tense moments, she waited. The rumbling of jet engines rocked the landscape. She watched Ganondorf become consumed in a hail of fire and mortar. Crackling of red lightning soon followed. As the smell of burning smoke and metal filled her nostrils, she could do nothing but watch as jet fighters crashed into the forest around her.

Mustering her courage, Zelda bolted under the cover of destruction and fled deeper into the burning trees and brushes. She had no time to think, no time to ponder the sheer devastation around her. Zelda dared not look back, dared not even utter a glance. The consequences for herself, and for the world around her, would prove too grave for everyone if the Demon King captured her now.

As she found the winding road once more, Ganondorf's voice called out to her.

"You cannot hide from me."

Black smoke billowed in front of her. Ganondorf's form appeared from the mist. His hateful gaze bore into her own. Her eyes widened at the sight of him. In that instant, she found herself living her worst nightmare once more.

"Did you honestly think you could get away? That I wouldn't find you in this world?"

Helicopter blades whirled above them. Zelda's eyes remained glued to the menace before her. She could hear the Terrans speaking amid the grinding of machinery, watching and observing them and the carnage Ganondorf left in his wake.

"There is no one to protect you this time, Princess. Not Link. Not the Sages. Not _anyone_ —"

Before Ganondorf could get another word in, explosions rumbled across the road. Fire, gas, and mortar erupted between them. Zelda screamed as she found herself catapulted across the area. She tumbled through brush and forest. As her ears rang from the attack, she brushed her hand across her forehead.

Warm blood trickled down her face. Deafening silence filled her ears. The world spun around her, while a tingling sensation ran down the right side of her body. Her eyes widened in horror.

 _Charles... Help..._

She crumpled to the ground. Afternoon daylight gave way to all-encompassing darkness. Zelda tumbled head long into oblivion as her body froze in crystal once more.

* * *

Charles opened his eyes. Pain surged down every inch of his body. He staggered onto his feet, the dizziness and vertigo overwhelming. As the world slowly came to a halt, he looked down at his hands and saw fresh blood, followed by the glow of the Triforce of Wisdom.

 _What the hell is going on?!_

Screams of rage punctured his ears. Charles glanced up, and watched as swarms of soldiers opened fire on a figure in black armor. Waves of energy sliced the landscape, bifurcating those left standing and sending violent explosions rocking through the air.

 _ **«You will pay for your interference with your lives, Terrans!»**_

Charles' eyes widened at the figure of Ganondorf mercilessly attacking the soldiers. The scent of charred flesh stung his nostrils. He covered his mouth, trying not to gag or draw the attention of the vile creature in his midst.

 _Oh God... Oh God, this is not happening!_

Taken aback by the sheer brutality, Charles held his hand against his hurting skull and bolted.

 _How the hell did he find us? What the hell has been going on this entire time?! He's ripping them apart like tin cans..._

Charles grunted in pain. It hurt to think, and to move. Fueled by adrenaline, he bolted down the road, hoping that the military assault around Ganondorf would distract him long enough for him to escape the area. He pushed aside his pain and his terror.

Inhuman screeches filled the air. Charles looked up and saw the flapping of leather wings in the midday sun. As the shadowy forms of Kargoroks swooped down on him, he jumped aside. Off into the distance, he spotted an abandoned car and a group of Aberrants fighting off monsters.

Laying against the metal, the prone figure of Impa muttered incoherent words and phrases. A spark of recognition lit up in Charles' eyes. The Aberrants looked over at Charles, their right eyes flickering an eerie light.

 _«Your Highness!»_ They called out in his mind.

Charles shook his head.

 _«No time to explain! We have to get out of here!»_

 _«We do not know how to operate this machine, Sir Charles! Please, help us!»_

On the ground, near the corpse of a dead man, a silvery shape stood out between his fingers. Charles pulled the lifeless hand away, revealing a set of car keys. As the last of the monsters fell around them, the Aberrants turned their attention to Charles as he pushed a button on the keyring.

 _«Sir Charles...?»_

Clicking noises filled their ears. With the push of another button, the doors to the car swung opened. Charles breathed a sigh of relief.

 _«Get in!»_

The Aberrants nodded their heads. They loaded Impa into the back seat of the car, and sat down inside. Charles buckled himself down into the driver's seat. He put the keys into the ignition. Turning the key, the car rumbled to life. The Aberrants nearly jumped in surprise. Charles turned around one last time.

 _«Buckle in, everyone. This is going to be a very bumpy ride!»_

Shifting the gears, the car sped onward. Shadows of monsters swooped down at them from above. Rubber burned against cement. Charles veered off the road, and sped headlong into an inferno. Monsters shrieked as fire consumed them. Charles drove onward, stepping on the gas to escape the conflagration. The car flew over a ravine, and landed on the other side.

No one in that car dared look back as he drove onward into the desert mountains. Ganondorf's screams of fury echoed for miles. As the sound of his voice fell more and more out of reach, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

The worst had passed... for now. Moments of tense silence filled the far. Charles turned the radio on. Music filled the car. The Aberrants looked up at him.

 _«What do we do now, sir?»_

Charles narrowed his eyes.

 _«We get as far away from here as humanly possible... and then we regroup.»_

* * *

 **Sierra Nevada Mountains**  
 **April 7, 2016 CE (40 Eldin, 1437 HCE Hyrulean Reckoning)**  
 **7:00PM**

Blackened skies hung over the desert earth. Charles drove onward into the night, barely stopping to eat his burger. Although the restaurant took their order, the stares of everyone inside chilled him. It told him, and the others accompanying him, how unwanted and unwelcome they were.

 _I'm just lucky my bank account hasn't been emptied yet. I don't know how much longer we can hold out like this. All I've done since yesterday is drive, drive, and drive, yet it feels like we aren't far enough away from Ganon and his monsters._

He glanced back at his sleeping companions out the corner of his eye. None of the Hyrulean minds knew how to drive. Not only did he need to protect Zelda and the Triforce of Wisdom, but he also had to chauffer the comatose Impa around for her protection. Everything, from waking up in the midst of Ganondorf's attack to their ongoing flight from California, felt surreal to him.

Moments passed. Charles felt himself nod off at the wheel. The car swerved briefly before Charles regained control.

 _So... exhausted..._

He drove the car off the road, and under a group of trees. Deep down, Charles hoped that neither Ganondorf nor his monsters would find him within the underbrush. He parked the car, and slunk back in the driver's seat with a sigh. Rubbing his eyes, he turned the radio on. Charles moved the tuner back and forth, until he landed on a news station.

"Millions of Americans are being evacuated as armed forces strike back against the monsters pouring out of Las Vegas, Nevada. No one has been able to pinpoint the source of origin for these monsters at this time. I've never seen anything like this! The President has ordered all non-Aberrant civilians west of the Vegas Incursion Zone to flee the area. All Aberrant citizens must report to designated screening areas along the Incursion Zone border until further notice. Back to you, John."

 _They're trying to trap us here. They think_ _ **we're**_ _the cause of Ganon's monsters! I don't know where this 'Incursion Zone' is, but somehow, we have to get past if it we want to protect Impa and the Triforce of Wisdom..._

"The FBI are still searching for the whereabouts of Alicia and Samson Blackwell, who disappeared from a hospital in Northfield, Minnesota over a month ago. They are wanted for questioning for both the Pleasant Grove massacre and for possible connections to the Los Verracos drug cartel. If you or anyone you know has information regarding the missing couple, they have set up a hotline..."

 _Samson Blackwell? Who is he?_

Chilled by the radio's revelations, he shut the radio off, followed by the engines. He sat there in silence, exhausted yet horrified by the revelations presented by the radio. Before long, he drifted off into light, uneasy sleep.

* * *

 **Mammoth Lakes — Incursion Zone Border Checkpoint**  
 **April 11, 2016 CE (44 Eldin, 1437 HCE Hyrulean Reckoning)**  
 **11:00AM**

Charles scanned the horizon with a set of binoculars. Off into the distant mountains, soldiers and armored cars patrolled along a former road. Lines of backed up cars went as far back as the eye could see. Soldiers inspected the cars, luggage, and belongings of the people crossing the border.

 _They've really got this place tightened down. How are we going to get through?_

Footsteps echoed behind him. He lowered his binoculars, and turned to face one of the Hylian Aberrants accompanying him.

 _«Did you find anything?»_ Charles asked.

 _«Nothing so far. Your people are very... thorough when it comes keeping undesirables out.»_

 _You don't know the half of it_ , Charles thought to himself as the Aberrant's telepathic voice echoed onward.

 _«We have made contact with others across the border, well into this 'Incursion Zone'. If we can slip past this patrol, all we would need to do is follow the road to an old cemetery. Our contact will be able to care for Lady Impa while we make our way further east.»_

 _«I hate to separate Impa from Zelda like this, but with Ganondorf hot on our tails, we can't afford to be keeping dead weight on us...»_

 _«I'm sure Her Majesty would understand your reasons for doing this, Sir Charles. We, too, want what is best for Lady Impa.»_

 _«I'm glad we're all in agreement there. Now, let's see what we can do here...»_

Charles raised the binoculars over his eyes. He spotted two soldiers searching a woman and her family. As they pulled a hooded figure out from a back seat, the mother screamed at the soldiers to release her child.

They pulled the hood down, revealing long, pointed ears much like their own. The soldiers drug the child away while the mother screamed onward. She crumped onto the pavement, weeping openly and without care for anyone watching.

"Please! You don't understand! She's just a child! She doesn't know any better!"

"She's an Aberrant, lady. We are under strict orders not to allow any Aberrants into the Incursion Zone!"

"No... please no! Don't take my baby from me... Please... I'm begging you..."

"Mom! Mom!"

Anger boiled inside Charles at the sight of them accosting the Aberrant child. He wanted so very much to go down there, and knock some sense into those men. A part of him wanted to do just that, while the rational part of his mind cautioned him against it.

 _«Get in the car.»_

 _«Sir?»_

 _«They're distracted with the girl right now. Now's our change if we want any hope of getting past this blockade.»_

 _I hate to use you like this, hun, but the world kind of depends on it right now..._

Charles made his way toward the car. His three companions, with Impa's unconscious form in tow, buckled themselves into the passenger seats. He put the keys into the ignition, and the engine roared to life. Shifting in reverse, he backed up the car. The engine revved up, and as he stepped onto the gas pedal, the car shot forward. It vaulted over the makeshift wall.

Gunshots filled the air. The soldiers accosting the family looked up, and saw a golden Sedan flying over the wall.

"Is that guy nuts?!"

"What the hell is he doing?!"

"All units, report to Checkpoint Alpha. Code Yellow, I repeat, Code Yellow!"

As the car landed on the ground, everyone inside whipped forward, restrained only by their seatbelts. Charles sped onward, not even daring to look back. He glanced up at the rear view mirror, and spotted black and crimson clouds forming in the far distance behind them.

 _That went better than I expected._

 _«You did it, Sir Charles! You made it past that blockade!»_

 _«We're not out of the woods yet, guys!»_

Behind them, armored vehicles chased them down road. Cars honked. Curses and swears followed. Charles tuned out the angry voices and continued onward.

 _How am I going to shake these guys?_

Familiar screeches filled the air. The shadows of Kargoroks washed over them. Diving from above, they lashed out at the cars and people alike fleeing on the road. The soldiers opened fire. Ghastly phantoms, unlike those they had ever before seen, manifested before them.

Waves of energy sliced through the air. The armored cars, and all inside it, became encased by sheets of ice, until it and everything inside had frozen into solid statues. Charles' eyes widened. Now, more than ever, he stepped on the gas.

 _«Wizzrobes? Here?»_ His companions asked.

 _Holy shit._

 _«Sir Charles! Look out!»_

Charles glanced up, and found himself veering headlong into a semi-truck. He turned the steering wheel as hard as he could. The car swerved out of the way, and the crashing of frozen ice rang in his ears.

Monsters dive-bombed the car. Metal thuds echoed across the roof.

 _How do I shake them off?! They're too fast!_

Adrenaline pumped in Charles' veins. Energy surged through every inch of his body, and sent goosebumps along his skin. Warmth spread across the back of his right hand. Charles lowered the window.

With a cry, he reached out with his right hand. Golden lightning shot out of his hand. The monsters collapsed onto the ground, paralyzed by the attack. The crunching of bones and flesh filled the air, as cars ran over their bodies. Charles drove the car onward.

 _What the hell did I just do?_

He sped onward into desert. Tense silence filled the car. For hours, he drove on, until he made his way to a dirt road. At the end of the road stood a large cemetery. He parked the car and looked onward.

 _«Is this the place?»_ He asked the others.

 _«Yes,»_ One of them replied, _«We will take Impa inside immediately. Please wait here, Sir Charles.»_

He said nothing further as they drug Impa into the old, rickety building in the cemetery. Alone with his thoughts, he mulled over their next move.

 _God... Nintendo was being nice about Ganondorf. He really is a bloodthirsty monster! Everything I have ever known about him, or thought I knew about him... it pales in comparison to what I saw out there. But how do we stop him? How do I put an end to this madness? I'm not Link, nor am I Zelda._

In the back of his mind, Charles sensed another presence beside his own. He looked outward toward the dead trees, and found a human girl standing in front of him. She looked back at him, smiling.

"Can I help you?" Charles asked.

"It's you..." She said, her voice echoing through the trees, "You're the one..."

"What are you talking about?"

Her green eyes pierced his own.

"She is coming. Determination is coming."

Charles returned the girl a bewildered, confused stare.

"I'm sorry?"

"Help is on the way. Courage and Determination will aid Wisdom and Knowledge. You two shall become the beacon that will end the Cycle. Soon, everything will be made clear..."

"You're speaking in riddles! I don't understand you at all!"

"You will understand in time, Child of Gaia... For now, you must go..."

He blinked his eyes. The girl vanished without a trace. As his Aberrant companions returned from the cemetery gates, he found himself more confused than ever. The girl and her words haunted him while he drove off into the desert night.


	16. Boundless Wisdom

**Soulbound**

Chapter XI, Part II - Zelda/Ganondorf: Boundless Wisdom...

Mist surrounded Charles and Zelda. The two of them peered back at each other from afar, their expressions solemn and morose. Zelda, bathed in radiant light, stepped closer toward Charles, who squinted his eyes.

"Impa... is she... safe?"

Charles nodded his head.

"I left her in the care of our allies. I'm sorry I had to... separate her from you like this."

"I... understand. With... the Demon King upon... us... there... was nothing else... you could have done. I am glad... that she is safe."

Charles closed his eyes, mulling over grim scenarios. Within the light, Zelda pondered their next course of action. The two of them knew they had to get as far away from Ganondorf as possible. Charles, desperate for an answer to their plight, peered through the light and at the Hylian woman within.

"Where do we go from here, Zelda?" Charles took in a deep breath. "Link is dead. The Sages are out of commission. Without the Master Sword, we don't even stand a chance of stopping him. What can we do to stop Ganon? What can we possibly do at this point?"

Zelda turned away from him, and focused inward. The symbol of the Triforce glimmered on the backs of their right hands, spreading gentle warmth across their skin. Through the darkness of the dream-void, images filled her mind: of deep blue seas, schools of fish, and kelp forests. Within that endless expanse of water, she sensed a presence—one that she had longed for since her arrival in this world.

 _Link..._

The floodgate of emotion burst open. Myriad feelings washed over her thoughts, ranging from relief to desperation. She brushed aside Charles' words, focusing solely on the light of the Hero's Spirit lost at sea.

"Link... he is alive..." Zelda could do little to hide her excitement and relief at this revelation. "The plane crash... that you spoke of... he did not die. Look..."

Charles blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Close your eyes... Focus your mind..."

Charles closed his eyes. The warmth of the Triforce of Wisdom enveloped him in golden splendor. Like gravity, he found himself pulled into Zelda's vision. He found himself surrounded by the sea and its bounty. Wading through the darkness, a Zoran figure sped through the water. On the back of the figure's left gauntlet, the symbol of the Triforce resonated in response to their own.

Like a ghost, the silhouette of Link overlaid the Zora. As Charles peered further, he noticed that Link's eyes remained closed, as though lost in slumber. Within the figure, a second silhouette, bathed in eerie light and just as ephemeral, appeared alongside him. The silhouette shifted into a woman with coppery hair and determined green eyes. She pushed herself onward, gritting her teeth as scales and fins traversed the waters around her at startling speed.

"Zelda... who...?"

Zelda blinked, unable to answer Charles' question. She closed her eyes and peered into the woman's mind. Images of pandemonium on a plane tore through the ocean waters. Men, women, and children shifted and transformed around her, changing into forms resembling the tribes of Hyrule. Behind a wall of light, the girl ran, her eyes full of panic and terror at the events around her. She screamed at the top of her lungs as the wall of light descended on her...

 _No... I don't want to die! Please, God... somebody, anybody, help me!_

The painful psychic feedback nearly sent Zelda lurching. Charles, too, gritted his teeth and forced himself to look onward. Through the images of pandemonium, a name made its way into her mind.

"Alex... andra." Zelda furrowed her eyebrows. "Alex... andra... Leslie... Donovan..."

"My God... She's the one Link got bonded with. But how? How did they survive? There's no way anyone could survive like that!"

Zelda glanced over at Charles.

"You underestimate... the Hero. Look..."

More painful images assaulted their awareness. The figure of Link stood within the cabin of the plane, calling out to the passengers twisted by the Convergence. They watched as explosions rocked the plane, and a large hole pierced the fuselage. Despite his own hybridized form, he fell from the heavens, wreathed in wind and magic.

For countless minutes, the green-clothed figure that restored hope to Zelda's heart swam through the salty waters, dragging the few survivors of the plane crash onto floating debris. She watched his endurance waned more and more with every passing second, until Link could no longer keep his head above the water. As his twisted form sank into the dark depths, he reached into a pouch, and pulled out the Zora Mask. Cascades of energy snaked down his entire form, and he lacked the energy to scream as the mask worked its power on his body.

The ocean currents carried the inert Zoran form, until it came to rest on an abandoned cay. Other bodies, bloated from exposure to the water, washed ashore along with wreckage from the plane crash. As the sun forced the figure from unconsciousness, Zelda sensed not the will of her champion, but that of the woman named Alex. Charles and Zelda both felt their hearts wrench at the woman's screams at her new form.

Horror gave way to determination. The images of the past gave way to the present. Alex's ghostly visage, filled with resolve, narrowed her eyes at the endless blue abyss around her. Zelda sensed her unwavering determination, her refusal to give up, to give in to her present circumstances.

Charles and Zelda collapsed onto the misty ground, gasping for air and drenched in sweat from the metaphysical experience. Charles pushed himself back onto his feet, and wiped away the moisture that drenched his forehead. He looked back at her, in awe of the revelation.

"I don't believe it..."

Zelda, forcing herself onto her feet, gazed back at him with a resolute expression of her own.

"If the Hero... if the champion... of the gods... had passed away, Charles... I... would have known. He has been alive this entire time... bound to the soul of that woman..."

"How is that going to help us, though? Link and this 'Alexandra' are lost at sea somewhere, while we're here with a Demon King breathing down our necks! How are we going to find them? How will they find us? What are we going to do about Ganondorf in the meantime, Your Highness?"

Zelda's stone-faced expression offered little comfort to Charles. She offered her hand toward him, while the mist weaved across the ground.

"At least... we know that there is still hope... for your people... and mine. My power alone... is not enough... to stop Ganondorf. Even with the Triforce of Wisdom, I could not reach out... to Impa. My power alone... is not enough. Perhaps... if Link and I... combine our powers we can restore... the fractured wills of the Sages. We must find Link... and Alexandra. Until that day comes... until we are able to meet again... we must do what we can to protect... the Triforce of Wisdom. We cannot allow him... to get his hands on it."

"So... that's your action plan?" Charles shook his hands, incredulous. "Running away from Ganondorf and hoping Link shows up to save the day?"

Zelda shook her head.

"With the Triforce of Power at his disposal, Ganondorf... is all but unstoppable. You know this, Charles. You know my legend...You know what it takes... for us to seal him away. To face the Demon King head-on as we are... is suicide. All we can do... is hold him at bay... until Link can arrive." Zelda closed her eyes in thought. "He will pursue us where ever we run. We can lead him away... somewhere far away, so that he does not cause further damage..."

"And where do you suppose we would go? There are people everywhere, Zelda! There is almost no place on this planet that you won't find civilization on! If we go through with this, there is going to be collateral damage!"

Zelda nodded her head in understanding.

"I do not know... if that can be avoided. Ganondorf's eyes... are everywhere. He has already begun... his assault on this world. I saw it myself... several of your people... have become thralls under his sway. That which... he cannot control... he will raze to the ground. We have... to keep moving. We have... to stay one step ahead... of the Demon King... It's the only way... to protect our worlds..."

Charles shook his head. Her words rattled him to his very core. His thoughts shifted toward his estranged family. In the face of this imminent danger, he wanted nothing more than to run back to his family's manor, and warn them of the coming storm.

Yet another part of him saw the futility in such an action. He knew how stubborn his father acted, and never took his concerns seriously. He only cared about his only son carrying on the family legacy—one that Ganondorf would end if his rampage continued on unabated.

 _Blood is supposed to be thicker than water... I can't just leave my family like this! I feel so helpless... without Link or the Sages, we've got no chance of doing anything about Ganondorf and his monsters! What am I going to do...? What the hell can I do?!_

Visions of monsters razing his family home filled his mind. He saw his sisters screaming in terror as Lizalfos and pig-like Moblins descended on them. Armed with a shotgun, his father shot shell after shell of ammunition into the monster. Yet as one monster fell, several more took their place, and before long, his father met the same fate as his sisters.

The final visage of his mother screaming into the flames and fury wrenched at his heart. Charles saw the rest of the once-pristine, manicured homes become consumed by the inferno, as countless screams and monstrous shrieks echoed into the twilight. Charles screamed and collapsed onto his knees. Zelda, sensing his distress, rushed over to him. She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"No... no... Mom... Dad... my sisters... they're going to kill them. They're going to kill every last one of them!" Charles, fighting back the emotions that threatened to overwhelm him, looked up at Zelda with watery eyes. "Zelda... please... they're my family. They're all I have left... there has to be something we can do. I can't just leave them... I can't just abandon them to die like this...!"

Zelda knelt down in front of him. In spite of the radiant glow that surrounded her form, she peered back at him with intense determination. Charles dared not look up at her, dared not show her his own weakness and distress any more than he already had. She cupped his chin with her fingers.

"Charles... look at me."

For several tense moments, Charles said nothing. He drew in a deep breath, and forced himself to peer back at her.

"I know... what it is... you feel. I, too... have lost family... to that monster. Your family... may as well be... my family now, too. I will see... what aid I can provide... for your loved ones. I promise you... when this is all over... I will see to it... that you are reunited..." Zelda took in a deep breath. "I have already lost... so much to that monster. I do not wish... to see anything happen to your mother... father... or sisters..."

"Thank you, Zelda... that really means a lot to me..."

The two of them said nothing for the longest time. After some time, Charles regained his composure, and in what time they had remaining in the dream realm, began to devise a plan of action with Zelda...

* * *

 **Nevada, United States — Blackwell Residence**  
 **April 18, 2016 CE (51 Eldin, 1437 HCE Hyrulean Reckoning)**  
 **3:00 PM, Pacific Standard Time**

Streets and houses whirled by Emily. The sounds of her classmates chattering to one another droned in her ears. Despite the cacophony around her, Emily's thoughts ventured elsewhere. She let out a plaintive sigh, watching the school bus grind to a halt.

For a brief moment, she looked up, watching some of her classmates grab their backpacks and file their way toward the front door. Her eyes glanced at the sidewalk beyond, while the engines roared to life once more. At the sight of them laughing, light and carefree, she sunk into the brown leather seat.

 _I wonder what Grandma is up to..._

She wiped the strands of dirty blonde hair out of her eyes. The hair clips her grandmother had gotten for her did little to contain her bangs. To the young woman, every day felt harder to face than the next. She wanted to see her mother and father again, the ones stolen from her that terrible night.

"Emily? Your stop's coming up," A boy next to her said.

Emily tore herself away from her thoughts and glanced out the window. Sure enough, the sight of the Nevada cul-de-sac she now called home came sprawling into view. Emily forced a smile on her face and turned toward the boy.

"Thanks..."

The bus came grinding to a halt. She scooted past him, and made her way toward the front door. Emily nodded her head at the bus driver before stepping onto the pavement, and making her way toward her grandparents' home. After several minutes of walking, the familiar house came into view. When she looked closer toward the home, she froze in her tracks.

Dread welled inside her. That terrible, sickening malice—the same feeling she had in the lobby of Northfield Hospital so long ago—poisoned the air. The front door to her grandparents' house swung ajar. Clutching the strap to her backpack, she mustered her courage, and ventured inside.

She expected to hear her grandparents' voices. Instead, she only her rumbling and tearing noises. Her entire body trembled, and it took every ounce of willpower she had to venture further into her home. Furniture, family photographs, and broken glass littered the living room. Blood splatters stained the carpet red. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the limp feet of her grandfather.

Hisses and growls filled the air, followed by the tearing of flesh and fabric. Disturbed by the noises, Emily rushed into the kitchen. Claws scuttled against wood. She crawled on the ground, and peered around the corner.

A pair of serpentine demons loomed over the lifeless bodies of her grandparents. Emily pulled herself away, unable to stop the flood of tears streaming down her face. She dared not cry or utter a sound. Frozen where she stood, she could do nothing else but wait for the danger to pass.

She glanced up at the cordless phone on the kitchen counter. The insidious beeping of a lost connection rang in her ears. Her heart raced. Roars filled the household, and the sounds of claws tearing into wood filled her ears. Broken glass clamored from the hallway. Metal clanking against wood soon followed, and a loud, booming baritone voice rang in her ears.

 **"Where. Are. They?!"**

Emily cowered at the rage-filled voice. She scooted up against the refrigerator, shaking uncontrollably. More footsteps trampled through the house, and another man's voice responded.

"Sir... we've torn apart this entire house looking for them. They're nowhere to be found!"

 **"I grow weary of your excuses, Terran... They are... still here! You will find them... or I will have your head!"**

The sound of that booming voice sent chills down Emily's spine. His threat, punctuated by the broken English words he uttered, fueled her terror and panic. Her stomach twisted itself into knots. The anger, the malice that clung to the air... it overwhelmed her now. She wanted to run, to get as far away from the vile aura that blanketed her home.

Metal digging into drywall rang in her ears, like nails on a chalkboard. Bits and pieces of debris fell on her head. When Emily looked up, the clawed fingers of a golden metal gauntlet dug deeper into the wall.

 _Dad... Dad, no..._

A dark-skinned face leered at her from above. She knew that face all too well, for it haunted her every waking moment since her father's disappearance. Emily screamed and crawled away, frightened by the pair of eyes that bore into her own: a normal grey eye, and a right glimmering a sickly yellow light.

"What... have... we... here?"

Emily shook her head in disbelief. She fell on her backpack, paralyzed by fear. The figure of Ganondorf stepped fully into the kitchen, and studied the child. A glimmer of recognition filled his eyes. He remembered his puppet, Alicia, in the company of a little girl during his awakening.

From deep within him, the conscious will of Samson Blackwell rushed to the surface. With a ferocity he never before experienced in his vessel, Samson clamored for control of his body. Ganondorf lurched backwards, taken aback by the suddenness of Samson's mental assault. As he stood there, frozen and his throbbing head in his spare hand, Emily looked, disturbed by the sight before her.

"Dad...?" She asked, "Dad... is that... you?"

The glow in his right eye flickered, while the iris shifted between a demonic green and a golden amber. The figure in armor fell onto his knees, lost between the war of wills inside himself.

"Em...ily..."

His voice softened. Although still a deep baritone, Emily sensed a change. His face, scrunched up into a painful grimace, peered down at her with a worried, terrified gleam.

Emily pushed herself onto her feet. She mustered her courage and approached the dark figure, certain that her father, Samson Blackwell, stood before her now.

"Dad... what happened to you?" Emily pleaded for answers, "Where's Mom? What have you done to Grandma and Grandpa? Why have you been doing these awful things?!"

Tears streamed down her face. Samson wanted to embrace his child, the very person who kept him sane within the edge of madness. He felt his control slip, and Ganondorf took control once more, letting out a rage-fueled screamed. The scream became drowned out by Samson's resurgent grip on his form. With what strength he had left, he looked down at his child.

"Emily... Get away..." He called out to her, "Run... get out of here... I can't... stop..."

Samson screamed and clenched his head in pain. The symbol of the Triforce of Power glimmered on the back of his right hand, flashing ominously in the dim fluorescent light.

"No... stay... away... Stay away... from my daughter... Don't you dare... lay a hand on her!"

As her father battled for control his body, Emily bolted from the home. Ganondorf's screams of rage and hatred echoed through the air. Lizalfos and men alike chased the little girl from the home. She screamed at the top of her lungs, and bolted through neighboring homes, also torn open and ransacked. Demonic shrieks filled the growing night. Lizalfos scurried across walls and ceilings, eager to make a meal of the child.

She dared not look back. Her heart pounded in her chest, and with what speed her legs could manage, she bolted into the street. People and bystanders screamed at the sight of the Lizalfos. Emily bolted into the crowd, who also fled down the glitzy streets and roads of the city.

Time lost all meaning to her. Emily did not know how long she had ran from the Lizalfos. Fear and screams drowned out all reason, as did the instinct to survive. As her stamina gave out, she collapsed in the middle of a road. A car skidded to a stop just mere inches away from her.

Holding up her hands to block out the glaring headlights, she saw the driver's side door open. A tall, effeminate figure with long, pointed ears stood over her, his eyes full of concern. Two eyes gazed down at her with worry and concern: a brown left eye, and a blue right eye. The figure brushed the long, flowing blond hair out of his eyes and rushed to the girl's side.

Before the Aberrant figure could react, the Lizalfos descended on the girl and his vehicle. Warmth permeated the figure's right hand, revealing three triangular shapes, arranged to form a pyramid. As the Lizalfos charged at them both, he held up his right hand.

Golden bolts of energy surged from his hand. The Lizalfos convulsed in place, paralyzed by the attack. The figure rushed toward the little girl, and pulled her to her feet.

Images flashed in the figure's mind: of a hospital under siege, of a mother and child at the mercy of a man turned demon, of otherworldly shadow magic the world had never seen up until that point. Recognition filled the figure's mind, and without another word, called out to Emily.

"Quick, get inside!"

Emily knew not what to believe. She did not know who this figure was, nor the other Hylian Aberrants that accompanied him. The others rushed the girl into their car, as her savior stepped back into the driver's seat once more. Slamming on the gas pedal, the car ran over the Lizalfos with a sickening crunch before speeding off into the desert night.

All around them, chaos ensued. Silhouettes of man and monster waging war shone from the windows of the buildings around them. Emily sank into the back seat of the car, unwilling to look at the sheer pandemonium anymore. Despite being in the arms of a stranger, peace and relief washed over her.

She knew not how to make sense of the whirlwind of emotions running through her. The shock of losing her grandparents began to settle in, and for the first time in a long time, she openly wept. The Hylian Aberrants, sensing her sorrow, rubbed the girl's shoulders.

For several hours, none of them said anything as Emily wept. The sun sank down into the horizon, giving way into night. Drained and exhausted, Emily dared not look up at the strangers around them. Sensing her unease, the driver peered up at her through the rear view mirror.

"It seems we all made it through the belly of the beast alive... for now."

Emily glanced up at the driver. As she peered onward, flickers of recognition filled her mind. She remembered seeing this figure on the news before, while eating dinner with her grandparents. Something about a missing college student turned Aberrant escaping from a hospital...

"I have a sister around your age," the driver began, "I think she just started middle school not too long ago. Haven't seen her in a while, though..."

At the sound of the feminine voice speaking to her, Emily perked up. Her stomach rumbled. The figure nodded in understanding.

"I heard that rumble!" The figure chuckled, flashing a disarming smile. "You must be exhausted after that insanity back there. Tell you what, I'm getting hungry, too. Let's go grab a bite to eat, and then we'll talk, alright? I'm Charles, by the way—Charles Victoria. You are...?"

"Emily..." She paused for a moment before continuing. "Emily Blackwell..."

Charles' eyes widened in surprise. He recalled the news bulletin on the radio several days ago.

 _"The FBI are still searching for the whereabouts of Alicia and Samson Blackwell, who disappeared from a hospital in Northfield, Minnesota over a month ago. They are wanted for questioning for both the Pleasant Grove massacre and for possible connections to the Los Verracos drug cartel. If you or anyone you know has information regarding the missing couple, they have set up a hotline..."_

 _Oh my God... could she be related to this "Samson Blackwell" somehow? I remember hearing about how he and his wife had left behind a daughter when they disappeared... If she is his daughter, then that vision..._

Despite his thoughts, he smiled at Emily through the mirror.

"Nice to meet you, Emily."

* * *

 **Mojave Desert**  
 **April 24, 2016 CE (57 Eldin, 1437 HCE Hyrulean Reckoning)**  
 **6:30 PM**

Charles fiddled with the hood on his head. He clutched the bags of hamburgers, food, and drinks carefully as he made his way to the car. Glancing around, he saw no sign of Ganondorf or his monsters, and he did not wish to linger around the restaurant for too long. He opened the car door, and handed everyone their meals.

"Alright, everybody, let's hurry up and eat. We've already had enough insanity for one night. I don't wish to linger here any longer than we have to..."

Everyone nodded their heads, as though an unspoken commandment passed through their ears. Emily found it strange, being in the presence of these people. Her grandparents hated Aberrants with a passion, calling them people possessed by demons. Yet these people had offered her nothing but kindness and shelter in the short period of her acquaintance.

Something about Charles made her feel different, as though she stood in the presence of a prince or other royalty. The way he carried himself and commanded the hellish situation they face... she could not begin to thank him enough, for saving her life. As Charles started up the car and drove off, she bit into her hamburger, feeling relief as the much-needed sustenance danced across her tongue.

Never before had the sweetness of ketchup and mustard felt so good to her. She felt thankful to be alive, and safe in the presence of these strangers. Emily took a sip of her soda, also relishing the sugary, carbonated taste in her mouth. Charles, taking a bite out of his own hamburger, glanced up at Emily through the rear view mirror.

"Feel better now?" He tipped his drink cup at her. "I'm glad. Trying to do anything on an empty stomach is hard, huh?"

He mulled over her words, unsure of how to begin his line of inquiries without upsetting the newcomer in his midst. In the back of his mind, he sensed that the girl held great importance—to what, he did not know. Biting into his hamburger, he placed his hamburger down onto his lap before continuing.

"Say, Emily... I know we haven't known each other for very long, but I have a few questions I'd like to ask you, if you're willing..."

Emily perked her head up, confused. She sensed the seriousness behind the female voice that uttered Charles' words. He had something on his mind... and she did not know what.

"Yes, Mr. Victoria?"

Charles shook his head.

"Please, just call me Charles. Whenever someone calls me 'Mr. Victoria', I always think of my father. Force of habit, I guess, but that's neither here nor there. On that note... do you happen to know anyone named Samson Blackwell?"

Emily froze at the sound of her father's name. The question that passed through Charles' lips chilled the girl to the bone. Charles frowned.

 _Oh great, now I've spooked her. Way to go, Charles! Why don't you make the situation worse, why don't you?!_

"...Sorry. It's just that you have the same last name, so I was wondering if you were related..."

"...Do you know my dad?"

Charles' eyes widened.

 _So she_ _ **is**_ _his daughter! Perhaps she can help shed some light on what this 'Samson Blackwell' has to do with Ganondorf._

"Look, I'm not the police, nor am I the FBI. Nobody understand what either of us are saying except you and I. This isn't an interrogation or anything like that. You don't have to answer that if you don't want to. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable..."

"No, mister... if you know of my father... you have to help him! Please!"

Charles, sensing the severity of the conversation, looked toward the other Aberrants, who nodded back at him. He pulled the car off to the side of the road, and parked it along the red desert earth. Charles turned his head around to face Emily.

Emily looked up at him, her face full of untold sorrow. Between the loss of her grandparents and the reappearance of her father, she found herself at a loss. She knew no one else who lived here. To her, it seemed like history now repeated itself. Despite what her father had become, she felt an overwhelming desire to help him.

She did not know what help this stranger could offer her father. Now more than ever, she wanted to be with her family, the people fate had ripped away from her. Alone, and with no other course to turn to, she made her decision.

 _Charles... please help my Dad. Please... someone help my Dad. I just want my father back... I don't want to be alone anymore..._

Charles stepped out of the car. The Aberrants sitting beside her motioned for her to join him outside. Kind voices echoed inside her thoughts.

 _«Sir Charles wishes to speak with you outside, little one. Please do not be afraid to speak with him.»_

 _«He and Her Highness will surely help you.»_

Emily shuddered at the voices echoing in her mind. The alien sensation of their telepathy unnerved her. She shoved away her discomfort as they smiled down at her, their right eyes glowing with an eerie light.

She did not know who the Aberrants meant by "Her Highness", but she felt she would find out soon enough. She stepped out of the car, and stretched her legs. The group had done nothing but drive since the incident days ago, and it felt nice to get up and walk around for a change.

Charles took a seat next to a formation of rocks in the desert. He motioned for her to join him, and she followed. She stood beside him, unsure of what would soon unfold.

"Emily... thank you for trusting me. I can only imagine the hell you've been through... so I'll try to make this as painless as possible. You were asking me earlier if I could help your father... Are you aware that the FBI is searching for him and your mother?"

Emily nodded.

"My Grandpa and Grandma... we used to watch the news all the time. I haven't seen my dad... since the night my father was touched by that light..."

Despite his veneer of calm, Charles' mind churned in revelation. Between the vision of Ganondorf he received on touching Emily days ago, his instincts around the girl, and his own broken memories of the Convergence, he seized on the connection.

"Emily... is your father an Aberrant like me?"

Emily frowned, unsure of how to answer that question. The light twisted her father into a monster, as it had done to countless others that night. Charles lowered his hood, exposing his long, pointed ears to the girl. He made no attempt to hide his condition from the girl.

"The light twisted me, too, Emily. I'm... different from most Aberrants, though. There are many, like you've seen in the news, that have lost their minds completely. I'm not like those Aberrants at all. My companions are the same way." He motioned toward his fellow Hylian Aberrants, who nodded at him in understanding.

"My father... he's not like you at all. When the light touched him... it twisted him into a monster," Emily began, "Ganondorf... that monster inside him... he's hurt so many people. He's got my mother. He... he was the one I was running from... when you found me, mister.

"He was about to kill me, too... but when he saw me, something inside him changed. My father tried to save me, to protect me from the monster's wrath. That's why those... lizard monsters were after me. The monster sent them to try and kill me..."

Charles' eyes widened. He lowered himself onto one knee, and placed a gentle hand on Emily's shoulder. Tears welled up in Emily's eyes.

"My father was a good man... he never used to be like this. The monster is making him do all these horrible things. Please... you have to help my father! You have to help me bring him back to normal!"

Emily wrapped her arms around Charles. She cried into his shoulder. He said nothing as he embraced her back.

For the next several minutes, Emily poured her heart and soul to the Hylian Aberrant who had offered her comfort and solace amid the chaos that consumed her life. She told him all that she knew about her father: from the night her parents argued, to the aftermath of the Convergence... up to the events that lead to their meeting. Charles found himself awestruck by the turn of events. When she finished her harrowing story, Charles had only one lingering question.

"Emily... thank you for telling me all this, but I need to know... when you encountered 'the monster'... when you encountered your father, on the day I rescued you... did he have a mark on his hand like this?"

Charles exposed the back of his right hand to the girl, revealing the symbol of the Triforce branded into his skin. Emily's eyes widened at the mark. The sight of the triangles sent chills down her spine.

"...Yes..." Emily looked up at him, in shock and awe. "... Just who are you, mister?"

Charles closed his eyes, unsure of how to answer her question.

"A victim of the Convergence, Emily... just like your father. I don't know how else to explain it. It's moments like this I wish Zelda were around... she would be a lot better at explaining this than me..."

Emily shook her head.

"Wait... Zelda? As in... the Princess Zelda? Of Hyrule and _The Legend of Zelda_?"

Charles nodded his head.

"Just as your father has become a vessel to Ganondorf... I am one to Princess Zelda herself. I also carry a piece of the Triforce. That's why Ganondorf is after me... and from what you've told me just now, he very likely wants you dead as well, if your presence alone was able to cause your father to rebel against him like that..."

Sonic booms filled the air. A gust of wind rushed past the group of people. Above them, squadrons of fighter jets rushed toward Las Vegas, the town they had just narrowly escaped from. Charles and Emily stood up, their eyes widened.

"Oh no..."

Before Charles could say anything else, explosions rocked the air. Plumes of fire and smoke rose up from the glitzy lights in the distance. Swirls of black and crimson energy whirled around the city. Dark shapes shot up toward the planes. Before they could fly off and return to base, sparks of energy shot up at them.

More blasts echoed into the night. The silver streaks, consumed by flame, veered off into the desert night. Rows of cars drove past them, frantic and terrified. He turned toward Emily.

"Emily, I need you to get into the car."

"Charles... I'm scared..."

"I know. I'm scared, too... More scared than you realize..."

As the two of them made their way back to the car, his thoughts turned elsewhere.

 _What the hell is the army doing?! Are they insane?! There are still people in there!_

Both Aberrant and Terran alike piled into the car. Charles turned on the engine once more, and shifted the car into gear. The car moved back onto the road. He glanced up at the rear view mirror, his eyes wide with fear.

Several men and women, their eyes gleaming with malice, charged at the envoy of armored vehicles driving past them. Like frenzied savages, they charged at the platoons of soldiers descending on the desert. Inhuman screeches and roars disturbed the peaceful silence of the desert.

From around the area of Las Vegas, the swirl of black and crimson energy gathered into a vague, boar-like shape with glowing yellow eyes. No amount of speed could get them as far away from Ganondorf or his malice. Other cars drove alongside his own, fleeing into the night as he did.

They sped off into the fading light, away from the coming storm.


	17. Absolute Power

**Soulbound**

Chapter XI, Part III - Zelda/Ganondorf: Absolute Power...

 **Nevada, United States — Caesar's Palace**  
 **April 24, 2016 CE (57 Eldin, 1437 HCE Hyrulean Reckoning)**  
 **6:30 PM, Pacific Standard Time**

Screams echoed throughout the black void. Anguish surged through every part of Samson's being. Visions of Emily's lifeless body, drenched in blood, assaulted his mind, followed by the silhouette of Alicia.

Her moans of pleasure and ecstasy grated in his ears. The sight of her silhouette embracing and coupling with another sent him boiling with rage. A deep, baritone voice groaned and moaned alongside her, their passion growing larger and larger.

"Lord Ganondorf..."

"Pleasure me... puppet..."

Their lips touched one another. Before long, Samson watched Alicia's silhouette hastily undo her bra before flinging it across the room. Their moans grew more sensual and passionate. Like a puppet without strings, her shadow entwined itself with large, imposing shadow of Ganondorf.

 _Get your filthy hands off of my wife!_

The scene shifted around him. He found him towering over the bloodied bodies of his elderly parents. Blood sprayed across the white walls of their once quaint home. Reptilian monsters, armed with jagged blades, feasted on their flesh.

 _«Why do you resist, Terran? Your parents are dead. Your wife is nothing more than a puppet. She doesn't even care about you anymore...»_

Samson froze in the darkness. He fell onto his knees, his heart drowning in despair. He had lost everything: his parents, his wife, his home... even his own body. For so long, he held back the malice and hatred that threatened to consume his mind.

Amid everything he lost, one fleeting light shimmered in the darkness. Emily's laughter rang in his ears. He wanted so very much to see his daughter again. For so long, he clung to that hope.

In the short moments of control, he searched for her. Ever since the day she came into this world, Samson had watched over her. He carried her as an infant, watched her take her first steps... even listened to her very first word: "Daddy." She brought so much joy to his life, even as the love her once shared with Alicia burned out.

 _«So that is why you resist... It is not the puppet that moves you, but your daughter. How..._ _ **touching**_ _.»_

Ganondorf's voice chuckled around Samson, echoing in every direction. The sound of his voice sent Samson careening into unbridled rage. Never before had he wanted to murder someone. From beyond the darkness, Ganondorf snorted, indifferent to his counterpart's growing fury.

 _«I will find her, Terran... and when I do, I will make you watch as I bleed the life from her. Everything you hold dear, including your daughter, will be crushed under my heel, and you along with it...»_

Samson lashed out in the darkness. Anger boiling, a searing warmth permeated the back of his right hand. He paid no attention to the golden light shimmering from his hand. He searched the darkness for the monster that had consumed his life.

 _«You stay away from my daughter, you son of a bitch!»_

He lashed out at the darkness, his face contorted into rage. The Triforce of Power burned hot on his hand, as if responding to his rage. From beyond the clouds of malice and darkness, Ganondorf howled with laughter. Like an addict, he felt the rush of Samson's hatred fueling his own, and he wanted more. He reached deeper into Samson's mind and smiled.

 _«Your wife was going to leave you. She was going to run off, and take Emily with her.»_

Samson shook his head, not believing the words entering his thoughts.

 _«No...»_

 _«Alicia grew tired of you, and like an old pair of socks, she was going to throw you away. But you... you were too busy working, too busy to see what was actually going on while you slaved away at the office...»_

Samson's eyes widened. Like salt on an old wound, his pain and resentment toward Alicia came rushing to the surface.

 _«That's not true! Alicia loved me! We were a family! We stuck together through thick and thin!»_

Ganondorf shook his head.

 _«No, Terran. She stopped loving you a long time ago...»_

Samson clasped his head in pain. He fell onto his hands and knees. Pushing himself onto his feet, Samson looked around, furious. He clenched his right fist.

As he looked around in search of Ganondorf, visions assaulted his mind. He stared at the images of Emily, the joy of his life, with widened eyes. Like a phantom, he watched as a pair of Lizalfos bound and gagged her to a stone slab. She looked up at her captors, terrified beyond reason, and screamed at the top of her lungs. The Lizalfos, in turn, grabbed their jagged boomerangs, and slashed at her throat.

 **"NO! EMILY!"**

One nightmare segued into another. In each one, more terrible scenarios played out before him: of his daughter being burned alive, of being impaled, of being destroyed from the inside out... and of being twisted into a monster as hideous as the ones around her. From the shadows of his mind's eye, he saw Alicia, her eyes gleaming red, as she laughed alongside her master.

"So long, love. You can keep the house..."

Before the unrelenting phantoms, Samson could do nothing but scream into the darkness.

* * *

Ganondorf opened his eyes. A smug look of satisfaction formed on his face. From beyond his office window, high up above the Vegas Strip, he stared down at the glitz and glamor. He held up a vial of white powder, watching it crackle of black and crimson energy.

 _How fitting that the Terran's own vices will be their downfall._

Satisfied that Samson's will could manifest no longer, Ganondorf stood up from his desk. He made his way out of his office. Two guards opened the doors for him, their pupils flicking red with malice.

Before Ganondorf could make it very far outside his office, loud rumbling shook the entire building. His satisfaction turned to anger as sonic booms tore through the air. Ganondorf fell onto one knee, seething with rage.

Glancing out of a nearby window, he watched as Terran fighter jets flew overhead, dropping bombs on his monsters and servants. Gunshots and screams followed. His thoughts flashed back to his encounter with Zelda, and how the Terrans had interfered with her capture. Now, their armies laid siege to his domain.

Streams of black and crimson energy swirled around him. Within seconds, they blanketed the entire building, and then the metropolitan area. Two bright yellow lights peered back at the fighter jets buzzing over the city. The swirling mass took on a porcine shape, its staring boring into the pilots and soldiers alike unbridled hatred.

Bolts of energy shot out at the fighter jets, engulfing them in balls of fire. They fell from the heavens, lacing the skies of plumes of smoke and burning wreckage before crashing headlong into the earth. Ganondorf peered through the effigy. He reached out into the darkness.

Countless souls appeared before him, all shuddering from drug withdrawal. Broken crack pipes, lighters, and spoons rested nearby. Like a dark web, his malice spread throughout their bodies. Unable to resist the pull of his will, their eyes snapped open, shimmering with crimson energy.

 _«Arise, my servants, and kill these invaders. Let their blood bathe these streets red until there is nothing left.»_

Like frenzied animals, the infected people rose up. Influenced by Ganondorf's will, they ran out of the streets in droves, attacking soldiers and anyone who dared come into contact with them. Screams filled the city as men, women, and children fled the chaos.

From within the safety of Caesar's Palace, Ganondorf's laughter echoed through every part of Las Vegas.

 _Now, then... back to the matter at hand..._

Peering through a thousand eyes, he searched through the drug-addicted Terrans for any sign of Zelda. Then, at the corner of his awareness, he spotted a gold sedan driving down the freeway. Hundreds of other cars, trucks, and other vehicles surrounded the sedan. Within the car, he sensed the familiar energy of the Triforce of Wisdom.

A smile formed on his lips. Adjusting his tie, he made his way down to the casino floor below. He sat down at the bar. As the bar tender brought him a martini, he called out to his minions.

 _«Find her. Bring her to me.»_

 _«Yesss, Masssterrrrr...»_

Ganondorf took a sip of his martini. With the matter of Zelda taken care of, he turned his attention to the continued threat of the Terrans... and the lost Sages. The gears of his mind turned as a plan formulated...

* * *

 **Arizona, United States — Grand Canyon Bunker, Briefing Room**  
 **April 29, 2016 CE (63 Eldin, 1437 HCE Hyrulean Reckoning)**  
 **6:00AM, Pacific Standard Time**

Within a crowded concrete room, metal fans whirled. Several uniformed men sat around a table, and watched a series of monitors. Images of Ganondorf, accompanied by countless monsters. They watched their own men engaging the monstrosities attacking Aberrant and civilian alike. Immune to their gunfire, Ganondorf swung his jagged trident at them, impaling and slicing them on its prongs.

His laughter rang out through the speakers as waves of energy bombarded the evacuated park in California. With the click of a button, an officer paused the video feed. An aged man turned toward the group of officers before him.

"This is the one the Aberrants call 'Ganondorf, the Demon King'. He responsible for the massacres in California and Minnesota. Our sources tell us that Ganondorf showed up in Nevada one day, and took over the Los Verracos drug cartel single-handedly. He's been at the forefront of everything from drug trafficking to kidnapping to cold blooded murder. When his underlings in the cartel can't get the job done, he sends these abominations out to pick up where they left off."

The general stepped toward the other side of the projection, and aimed his laser pointer at the Lizalfos, Stalfos, and Moblins that accompanied him that day.

"No one, not even the police, have been able to stop Ganondorf's wave of terror. Last night, we lead a joint operation with the National Guard to free Las Vegas from the grip of his control..."

He clicked the button and resumed the video feed. The images switched to the Las Vegas skyline. With stoic faces, the officers watched as a mass of energy formed over the city. A boar's head appeared from the mass, and with frightening speed, bolts of energy shot out toward every aircraft flying over the city.

Each of the officers present bowed their heads in a moment of silence, honoring their fallen comrades. When they finished, the general lifted his head up.

"Ganondorf is able to project energy in a way normal humans are incapable. Worse still, he has shown complete resistance to all forms of conventional weaponry. We have reason to believe that he is the source of the creatures that have been attacking cities in the Incursion Zone. We have reason to believe that he has altered the drugs the Los Verracos traffics into a mind-altering substance that causes the victim to spur into a frenzy."

The images on the monitor flashed again. A civilian news helicopter flew overhead as Ganondorf loomed over a feminine Aberrant. He lobbed threat after threat at the figure in a language none of them could understand. The camera veered around, revealing the blond figure's eyes: a brown left eye, and a blue right eye, which glimmered with an eerie light.

"This, gentleman, is Charles Victoria, the missing college student turned Aberrant. He is held in high esteem by the Aberrants, who address him as royalty. Our sources have informed us that Ganondorf is hell-bent on finding and capturing him. We do not understand why, or what connection Mr. Victoria might possibly have to our man, but we cannot allow this man to fall into Ganondorf's hands."

Something about the feminine form of Charles struck one of the officer's eye. He blinked as the general turned off the video feeds, and focused on the briefing.

"Your mission is two fold." The general turned toward the right side of the room. "Alpha Squadron, your orders are return to Las Vegas and the surrounding cities to evacuate all remaining civilians, including Aberrants, from the area. Do what you must to ensure the safety of all evacuees, but under no circumstances are you to engage Ganondorf." He then turned toward the left side of the room. "Bravo Squadron, you will search for Charles Victoria. Once he is in our custody, you will bring him and those traveling with him to this base for interrogation."

As the general continued on with the briefing, one officer looked down at his smartphone with widened eyes. He glanced up at the image of Ganondorf and the boar-shaped cloud of darkness. With a swipe of a few keys, he opened up a web page, and stared at the picture of Ganondorf on his phone. He looked up at the aberrated form of Ganondorf on the video feed, then back at his phone, and then back at the feed again.

"...Once both of our objectives have been completed, we will begin Phase 2 of the operation. That concludes this briefing. Any questions?"

The officer held up his hand.

"General Langstrom, sir, with all due respect... I think there is something you should see," the officer began, motioning toward his cell phone.

Langstrom squinted his eyes. On the title of the browser tab, the words "Ganon - Zelda Wiki" caught his eye, followed by the startling image of Ganondorf's likeness on the web page. He looked up at the officer.

"The rest of you, return to your quarters until further instructed. Lieutenant Hadley... see me in private."

* * *

 **11:00 PM, Mojave Desert**

The moon rose high above the red earth. Figures in black surrounded Ganondorf, tracing arcane symbols onto the ground in malice-fueled trances. Skeletal Stalfos stood nearby, guarding the profane ritual from any intrusions. Their eye sockets gleamed with an unholy light, eager to inflict misery on the living.

Off into the distance, a lone limousine drove up to the gathering. As it came to a stop, the door opened. The figure of Arthur Palmgate stepped forth, holding an arcane book in his head. As the Stalfos readied to attack, Ganondorf held up his hand. The Stalfos lowered their weapons. Palmgate approached the magic circle.

"Is everything... ready?" Ganondorf asked.

Palmgate nodded.

"Of course. I have sent my best to divert the armed forces while you conduct your business here. I assure you, they do not know we are here, or of what you are about to unleash."

"Good..."

Palmgate stepped back.

 _The Convergence... it has tied our worlds together in ways unseen. To draw forth figures from beyond the reaches of time and space... would be a most incredible feat, even for you, Demon King._

The two of them said nothing further. Beside him, Carmine looked on with a stoic expression, while Palmgate observed with a look of intrigue. On the back of Ganondorf's right hand, the Triforce of Power burned gold as streams of black and crimson energy surged and crackled around him.

 **'From beyond the reaches of time, I summon you. Heralds of my will, gather before me once more!'**

He raised his right hand up into the air, and extended his fingers. Red lightning surged from his fingertips. The energy coalesced above him, forming a swirling vortex. Darkness drowned out the night sky.

Within the portal, seven wisps of smoke manifested. They slithered out from the portal, and touched down all around Ganondorf. Bolts of red energy struck each of the seven points, combining with the dark wisps summoned from the portal. As the energy neared its peak, Ganondorf shouted into the heavens, clasped his fingers tightly, and pulled his first into his chest.

The portal collapsed, and the wisps of darkness dissipated. In each of their places, seven figures knelt onto the ground. Each of them rose onto their feet. Moonlight tore through the darkness, casting faint radiance on the gathering.

An sleek, effeminate figure stood in front of Ganondorf. A thick red cloak covered his neck and torso, secured by diamond-shaped chains. White gloves and a matching suit, both checkered with rhomboid holes exposing deathly gray skin, clothed his body. Silver hair veiled one side of the figure's face, while a lone pointed ear jetted out on the other side of his face. A red gem hung from a yellow sash across his hips.

"Master!" The figure cried out in a gleeful, flamboyant tone, as if reunited with a lost loved one.

"Ghirahim..." Ganondorf uttered in response, nodding curtly before turning to the figure beside him.

In the next circle stood tall figure dressed in purple tunic. A pointed cap with a gold brim and red gem adorned his head. Long lavender hair obscured the right side of his face, exposing a crimson left eye. A dark violet cape adorned his neck and shoulders. Tied to his waste, a gold belt with a red, eye-shaped buckle shimmered in the moonlight. Crimson shorts and sandals clothed his legs and feet.

"The Demon King himself... so you are the one that summons me..."

Ganondorf nodded. "Vaati..."

Within the next circle, two familiar twin figures stood before him. Ganondorf knew these aged hags all too well. Holding their broomsticks, the Gerudo sisters, in black robes lined with angular patterns, peered up Ganondorf with twisted joy. On their foreheads, an icy sapphire and a burning ruby glistened in the darkness, while sashes secured their aged strands of hair into buns.

"My liege, it is an honor!"

"How may we serve you?"

Ganondorf sneered at the old crones. "Koume and Kotake... the Twinrova Sisters... You will learn of your task soon enough..."

He turned to the next circle, and peered at the dark mage in red robes. Ashen skin poked out long, dangling sleeves. The body of his robes, lined in gold, concealed a crimson and purple tabard, adorned with the symbol of an eye with triangular lashes above and below. Around his head and neck, a crimson scarf and veil, secured by a gold cord, masked his face, while a golden arrow rested on his forehead.

"Master Ganondorf, the pleasure is mine."

"Agahnim..."

A tall, menacing figure in black robes, adorned with bright green lines, greeted Ganondorf in the next circle. Long tassals dangled from his sleeves, which obscured his hands from view. A red tabard, covered in patterns, draped his torso and hung from ornate silver armor on his shoulders. A tall, fish-like helmet hid the figure's face completely. He fell onto one knee, honored by the Demon King's call.

"My Lord..."

"Zant..."

Inside the next circle, a short man in green robes peered up at Ganondorf with blackened eyes. Two emerald top hats covered his head, leaving bits of his red hair exposed to the night. A thick mustache poked out from either side of his face. A pair of red pants clothed his legs. He clasped his hands together, scheming.

"Your Majesty!"

"Cole..."

Finally, Ganondorf turned toward the final circle, and peered at the tall, overweight figure in a red and black studded jumpsuit. A thick belt, adorned with eye symbols, wrapped around his waste. A thick white mask, adorned with an inverted Sheikah symbol and three pairs of horns, hid his face from view. Red and black spiked gloves covered his arms and hands, adorned with white and yellow frills. A long, thick white and gold collar surrounded the figure's neck and head. A short tuft of hair stuck out from a thick set of bands from the back of his head.

"So you have need of the Yiga once more?"

"Of course... Kohga..."

Ganondorf smirked at the gathering of villains around him.

"I would not summon you without good cause..." He motioned toward the vast desert around them. "Before you stands the realm of Earth, home of the Terran people. This world, and our own, are being pulled together by a force known as the Convergence. Beneath this world, Lost Hyrule slowly rises to the surface, and soon... she will overtake this realm. You seven are to return to our world. There, you will find the seven temples. You will go to these temples... and cast them into darkness. Disrupt the Sages' power, so that they may trouble me no more."

The seven villains nodded.

"Consider it done, Master!"

"Hmph, as you wish..."

"For the Demon King!"

"Understood."

"I will gladly obey!"

"I've always wanted another chance to disrupt the human realm! For Malladus and the Demon King!"

"Death to Hyrule! Death to Earth!"

Each of the villains disappeared into the night: Ghirahim in a glitter of diamonds, Vaati in a surge of wind, Twinrova in a cascade of fire and ice, Agahnim in a ripple of dark magic, Zant in a stream of Twilight, Cole amid the sound of hissing steam, and Kohga in a flash of crimson light.

With his dark ritual complete, Palmgate, who had observed the entire episode, let out a smirk of his own.

 _Impressive... you really are the Demon King spoken of in the legend..._

He clasped the aged old book in his arms.

 _But I have a few tricks up my sleeve as well... after all, it would be a shame if the Children of Gaia showed up now. Perhaps... you might be the one to draw them out, the spirits of Knowledge and Determination..._

Palmgate turned toward Carmine, who looked on with a shocked expression on her face.

"Come, Carmine... there is nothing left for us here."

"O-Of course, Dr. Palmgate."

Without another word, the two returned to their limousine in silence. Carmine could not help but wonder just what Ganondorf had unleashed on the world, and what part her employer truly played in all this.

* * *

 _Zelda and Charles stood before one another in the black void. Mist blanketed the ground in every direction. Charles' tense footsteps clicked along the floor. In turn, Zelda raised a concerned glance at her counterpart._

 _"Charles, how is Emily doing?"_

 _Charles shook his head._

 _"She's still pretty shaken up. I bet Ganondorf has given that poor girl PTSD for life. Honestly, I'm shocked about all this myself. To think that her father got bonded to that monster..."_

 _Zelda closed her eyes briefly._

 _"The gods... they must be watching over that girl. Emily has already been through so much... for one so young. She must be very special... to Samson Blackwell, if her presence alone... can cause his will to rebel against Ganon's. Perhaps... she may be the key to holding him at bay..."_

 _Charles' eyes widened._

 _"You're not suggesting... what I think you're suggesting, are you?"_

 _Sensing his unease, she held up her hand and shook her head._

 _"No, Charles she is but a child. I would not subject her to that kind of horror again, not unless she was willing. However if her presence can call out to her father from deep within the Demon King I fear there may come a time where we will have no choice but to use this to our advantage..."_

 _"Zelda, she's a little girl! She probably still has nightmares about what he did to her grandparents! I won't do it! I won't put her through that again!"_

 _A brief silence fell over the pair. Zelda turned around, lost in her radiance. Charles waited for some kind of rebuttal, some alternative that did not involve putting Emily in danger again. Zelda glanced over her shoulder, her expression solemn._

 _"I do not know if there is any way to help Samson Blackwell. He is bound to the Demon King's spirit. To kill Ganondorf... would be to kill her father as well, and to deprive a daughter of the only family she has left. He is as much of a victim as any of us are..._

 _"For now... let us abide by the girl's wishes. If she desires her father's salvation... then we must make it so, for her sake... and her father's."_

 _Charles breathed a sigh of relief. He closed his eyes. Although the discussion about Emily Blackwell ended, something else bothered him. Charles recalled the ghostly visage that visited him while at the cemetery. Their conversation haunted him:_

"It's you... you are the one..."

"What are you talking about?"

"She is coming. Determination is coming."

"I'm sorry?"

"Help is on the way. Courage and Determination will aid Wisdom and Knowledge. You two shall become the beacon that will end the Cycle. Soon, everything will be made clear..."

"You're speaking in riddles! I don't understand you at all!"

"You will understand in time, Child of Gaia... For now, you must go..."

 _"Zelda... there's something I need to ask you..." He mulled over his words, unsure of where to begin. "When I was dropping Impa off with our associates, I saw this strange girl. I'm not sure if she was a ghost or what, but... she said about how 'Determination' was coming..."_

 _Zelda raised her eyebrow, confused by Charles' story. She said nothing else as Charles continued._

 _"Oh, trust me, Zelda, it gets weirder. She mentioned something about how 'Courage and Determination would aid Wisdom and Knowledge... and that we would become the beacon that will end 'the Cycle'. She then called me a 'Child of Gaia'... whatever that is..." He looked up at her with a pointed expression. "Then... she just vanished into thin air. What do you think this could be?"_

 _Holding her chin in thought, Zelda pondered Charles' story, and the implications of the being he ran into that day. To Charles, she seemed just as confused and perturbed as he felt. After several tense moments, she looked back up at him._

 _"Perhaps just as Hyrule has spirits that protect it from danger, so does the Earth. Wisdom and Knowledge go hand in hand... just as Courage and Determination do..." She shook her head. "The only cycle I am aware of is that of the Great Calamity surrounding those of us blessed by the Triforce. This 'Child of Gaia' it referred to you concerns me. There might be more to this than we can possibly know, Charles..."_

* * *

 **Arizona, United States - State Route 64**  
 **April 30, 2016 CE (1437 HCE Hyrulean Reckoning)**  
 **8:00 PM, Pacific Standard Time**

Charles squinted his eyes at the road. Fatigue overwhelmed his senses. In the back seat, next to a pair of Hylian Aberrants, the innocent figure of Emily rested her head against their shoulder, fast asleep. Blissfully unaware, she looked like an angel in the fading sunlight.

 _God, she looks just like Hailey. I miss everyone back home... I wonder how Mom is doing? I hope she hasn't lost it since Zelda and I escaped from that hospital..._

His thoughts turned elsewhere. As much as it pained him, he could not turn around. He did not want to draw Ganondorf or his monsters to his family's home. With him in hot pursuit of them, danger lurked around every corner. For all he knew, monsters lurked in the desert, eager to capture him and strip him of the Triforce of Wisdom.

Through the corner of his eye, he glanced down at the car stereo, eager for some form of distraction. At the same time, he did not want to wake anyone. With one hand on the steering wheel and another on the stereo's volume knob, he turned on the radio. The sound of quiet music helped his waning concentration.

When he peered up, he found himself face to face with a blockade of hum vees and armored cars. At the sight of them, Charles slammed on the breaks. Emily felt her head smack into the back of the driver's seat. Confused and horrified, Charles' mind whirled, struggling to come up with a way out of his predicament.

Terrified, Emily grabbed the arms of the Aberrants seated beside her. She looked up at Charles.

"Charles?! What's going on?! What's happening?!"

From out of the blockade, an aged figure in uniform stepped toward the golden sedan. He gazed back at them through the lenses of his gas mask. More soldiers poured out of the vehicle, armed with pepperball launchers.

"That's as far as you go, Mr. Charles Alastair Victoria."

He motioned toward his comrades. With a wave of his arm, volleys of cannisters shot out toward the car. Gas flooded the area. Every inch of Charles' skin and face burned. Uncontrollable tears ran down his cheeks. He covered his mouth with his sleeve. With his free hand, he unbuckled his seatbelt.

Emily, too, collapsed into involuntary coughing fits. In moments, everyone in the car succumbed to the sting of the tear gas. Charles fell out of the car and crawled onto the pavement. Before he could react, he felt something hard collide with the back of his head. He collapsed onto the ground, and the world faded to black.

* * *

The grinding of clockwork gnawed at Zelda's awareness. She opened her eyes, and found herself staring at unfamiliar concrete walls. Her gaze shifted toward the thin cot where she sat, and the slab underneath it. A set of chains suspended it from the wall.

Peering to her right, she came across a set of thick iron bars. Horror and confusion churned inside her.

 _A... prison cell? Why am I here?_

Before she had any time to ponder her predicament, a thick set of doors burst open. Boots clamored against concrete. Zelda stood up from her cot, eager to get to the bottom of her situation. Three men in uniform stopped in front of her cell: two armed guards in camouflage, and an officer in a green uniform. Various pins glimmered on the left breast of his jacket, while a patch with a name emblazoned in white thread stood out on his right: it read "Langstrom".

 _What is this? What do these men want?_

"Ah, so you've awakened." The officer nodded in satisfaction at her. "I see that Mr. Victoria has left the building. You must be the one the Aberrants refer to as their princess—Zelda, yes?"

Langstrom turned toward the guards.

"Open the cell. The prisoner is coming with us."

Grabbing a set of keys from a keychain, the guard to his right lowered his rifle, and unlocked the door. The iron bars slid open. Neither of them bothered to say a word to her as they each lifted one of her arms off the cot. Zelda struggled against their grip as they drug her out of the cell.

The four of them made their way through several winding halls, until they stopped in front of a room. On either side of the room, two more guards stood watch. Langstrom turned toward the guards. The guards saluted him, and he saluted him back.

Zelda gritted her teeth. She wanted to cry out at these men for hurting her. The guards opened the door. A lightbulb, suspended from the ceiling, illuminated a long, rectangular table. Several metal folding chairs lined each side. The guards, tired of her squirming, pulled up a chair, and threw her into it.

She cried out, rubbing her sore shoulders. On the other side of the table, Langstrom took a seat. His gray eyes bore into her own. When her eyes met his, she sensed that he knew something.

"My apologies for the rough treatment, Your Majesty. Bad experiences with you Aberrants has taught me to err on the side of caution. Now, I know you must be burning with questions about why you are here, but first, allow me to introduce myself: I am Lieutenant General Kirk Langstrom of the United States Air Force. I am under orders to safeguard you from our mutual enemy."

He looked back at her, expecting to hear the familiar buzzing that signaled an Aberrant's telepathic communication. Instead, no such sensation ran through him. Zelda merely looked back at him, her gaze smoldering with disgust.

"'Mutual enemy'?"

Langstrom's eyebrow rose.

 _So she_ _ **can**_ _speak English now._

"Please don't play stupid with me, Princess. You and I both know that, had we not found you, Ganondorf would have... and we cannot allow that, now can we...?"

Zelda narrowed her eyebrows.

"What do you want from me?"

Langstrom stood up from his chair. Zelda's gaze stayed on him at all times as he moved around the room. He walked toward a desk at the very far end of the room, and pushed a button. The wall behind him slid away, revealing a set of monitors. A bird's eye view of Ganondorf and Zelda, standing mere feet from one another, flashed on the screens. The images shifted and changed, showing instead Ganondorf and his monsters cutting a swath of carnage through hundreds of soldiers armed with machine guns and bayonets.

Zelda clasped her hands over her mouth, reliving the massacre both on the monitors and in her memory. She squeezed her eyes shut, suppressing her desire to sob before the general. Langstrom switched the monitors off. He planted his hands on the table in front of him, and returned a pointed stare.

"How do we kill him? How do we stop Ganondorf, Princess?"

Zelda slowly lifted her head up, tearing herself away from the terrible memories of her encounter outside the Hateno Enclave. She shook her head at him.

"...You can't."

Behind Langstrom's stoic facade, he felt his heart skip a beat.

 _"What?"_

"So long as he possesses the Triforce of Power, he is unstoppable... your weaponry cannot harm him. Ganondorf is far beyond anything your people have ever faced before... "

"What are you saying? That he is immortal?!"

Zelda closed her eyes. Her thoughts drifted toward Link—her light, the light that gave her hope every day.

"Even with the Triforce of Wisdom, my power alone is as nothing. There are only two things that can harm the Demon King, General Langstrom: The Light Arrows... and the Blade of Evil's Bane... the Master Sword..."

Langstrom narrowed his eyes at her, intent on learning more.

"Where are they, Zelda? Where are these weapons?"

She returned the general a pointed stare of her own.

"They are in the Hero's possession. Only his power, combined with that of us Sages, has kept our world safe from the Demon King." Zelda drew in a deep breath. "If you are sincere about your desire to defeat Ganondorf... then please help me! Please help me find the Hero, before he finishes what the Convergence has started!"

Blinking, Langstrom cocked his head to the side.

"Convergence?"

"Hyrule and Earth are merging into one. When that time comes... it will be too late. Our worlds, unable to sustain themselves, will crumble into dust. It was the Convergence that forced us into your world, and bound us to the souls of your people." Zelda slammed her fist onto the table. "Don't you see?! We never wanted this! We never wanted these hybrid bodies! We do not wish to be here any more than you want us here, General!"

Catharsis washed over Zelda. Months of pent-up frustration toward the Terran people rose to the surface. Yet in the back of her mind, the memory of the massacre in California haunted her Taking in another deep breath, she closed her eyes for a moment.

Langstrom found himself overwhelmed by the sheer information Zelda presented to him. He did not know what to make of her foreboding words. As a tense silence hung over the room, he recalled the debriefings of the few who survived the Tamalpais Massacre.

 _The said that they heard a woman's voice crying out in their minds, begging them to run away... did Zelda try to warn my men?_

"...When Ganondorf was searching for you in California... when he and his monsters were butchering our soldiers left and right... did you try to warn us? Did you try to tell of the threat he posed?"

Zelda closed her eyes and nodded.

"...Yes... I begged them to run away, to flee for their lives. I tried to tell them that their weapons had no hope of harming him... but like so many of my people, who warned you in the past, my words fell on deaf ears." She opened her eyes. "I can only hope this time... things will be different."

Langstrom closed his eyes. The guards standing on either side of her looked up at him with concerned faces. Before he decided to adjourn the interrogation, he met Zelda's piercing gaze, the eerie light flickering in her right pupil unnerving.

"I have one final question, Your Highness: Where is he? Where is the one you call 'The Hero'?"

A solemn expression formed on Zelda's face.

"I do not know. Ever since I awakened in this world, I have been searching everywhere for him. All I know... is that he is lost at sea. I wouldn't even know where to begin looking for him at this point. I am not familiar enough with this world's geography to be of much help there..."

With a solemn expression of his own, Langstrom stood up onto his feet.

"Thank you. That will be all... for now."

His gaze shifted toward the guards one either side of her.

"Return her to her cell until further notice..."

* * *

 **Grand Canyon Bunker, Holding Cells**  
 **May 7, 2016 CE (70 Eldin, 1437 HCE Hyrulean Reckoning)**  
 **10:00 PM**

Emily sat against the wall in the corner of her cell. She tucked her legs into her chest and wrapped her arms around herself, sobbing into the darkness. Her thoughts turned toward her father, her grandparents... toward the family she has lost. Trapped within the military complex, she felt isolated and afraid.

In the back of her mind, she felt a presence. Warm and radiant, visions of a woman with pointed ears appeared before her. Like a phantom, the figure placed a ghostly hand on her shoulder.

 _«Please don't cry, Emily. I am here now...»_

She wiped the tears from her face, and stared into the darkness. Comforted by the woman's words, she called out to her.

"Are you... are you Princess Zelda? The lady Link saves all the time?"

Zelda's chuckled at the girl's words.

 _«Well, I wouldn't say_ _ **all**_ _the time, but he does his best to protect me and my kingdom regardless...»_ Zelda felt a whirlwind of emotions swirling within her mind as she thought of Link. _«Link is a great man. He always comes during our hour of need. He protects us without any thought or regard for his own safety, and never asks for anything in return. Truly, the gods have blessed him with a huge heart...»_

"Do you think... you'll ever see him again?"

 _«I believe it to be so, Emily. The gods would not be so cruel as to abandon us to this fate... When the time comes, the gods will bring us together again. Until then... I must stay strong, for his sake and ours. He would not want to see any of us sad, Emily.»_

Emily, comforted by her words, stood up from where she sat. She walked over to the edge of her cell. Through the beams of moonlight pouring into the hallways beyond the holding complex, she searched for any sign of her companion. At that moment, she thought about Charles, and how he had saved her and protected her from danger.

"Hey, what happened to Charles? Do you know where he went?"

 _«He is... not here right now. When I am awake, he is asleep. However, we do speak to one another, in the realm of dreams. He told me about what happened to your father...»_

Emily frowned. The thought of her father sent her spiraling back into her depression once more.

"Can Link save my dad?"

 _«I assure you, Link will do everything he can to free your father from Ganondorf's possession. However... if you wish for this to happen, there is something you have to do.»_

Emily blinked.

"What is it? What do you want me to do?"

 _«You have to escape this place, Emily. You have to find Link, and bring him to me.»_

Emily's eyes widened. The thought of abandoning Charles and Zelda terrified her to no end. She had nowhere to go, no one to turn to. She could not survive out there by herself. She looked around, hoping to find Zelda's face among the prisoners in the base.

"But what about you?"

 _«My place is here, as is Charles'. I must help these soldiers contain the Demon King. It is the only way to prevent further tragedy from overwhelming this world. As long as Link still lives, there is hope for us still. If I combine my power with his and the Sages, we can save everyone!»_

Invigorated by her words, Emily felt a smile form on her face. For a brief moment, all the sorrow, all the pain and suffering she had endured melted away. Yet one question nagged at her.

"Zelda, where are you? I wish I could see you right now..."

 _«We have been moved into another facility in the base. The soldiers here have their eyes and ears on me at all times. I cannot leave their sight, or the consequences will be... dire. Although we have only just met, I have no choice but to pass this task onto you. You are a brave girl... now both of our worlds need your courage more than ever...»_

Loud thumping noises echoes through the hallways, followed by deathly silence. For several tense moments, Emily hid in the back of her cell, unsure of the terrible events unfolding around her. Then... loud, piercing gunfire filled her ears. As she peered through the windows leading to the hallway beyond, a terrible scene unfolded before her eyes.

Dark silhouettes of soldiers, lit up by muzzle flashes and gunfire, stormed the hallways. All around them, the shadows of Lizalfos loomed over them. With inhuman shrieks, they charged toward the human shapes and attacked them. Blood sprayed the hallways red with human blood. Emily clasped her hands over her mouth.

The doorway to the holding area burst open. Several soldiers, armed with pistols and rifles, opened fire on an immense, rotund figure of a Moblin. Holding a large, heavy pipe, it twirled around them. Iron bars flew through the air. Emily could do little to suppress her screams as several narrowly missed her body.

With openings in her cell, Emily crawled through holes between the bars. She ran through the hallways of the complex. Adrenaline rushed through every part of her body. She dared not look back.

Screeches assaulted her ears. She felt the looming presence of a Lizalfos chase her through the hallways. Emily darted around a corner, hoping to shake the monster off her trail. Instead, she fell down laundry chute, and landed in a large bin full of dirty uniforms.

Emily carefully made her way over the side of the bin. She jumped on the ground, and bolted down the hall. Making her way through a set of stairwells, Emily spotted the moonlit earth outside of a set of double doors. She burst through the doors, and made her way outside.

 _«Go, Emily... Go...»_

Zelda's voice echoed in Emily's mind. Her mind blocked out the scene of carnage around her, along with the smell of gunpower, decay, and death. Distracted by the assault of monsters on the base, the soldiers waging war paid little attention to the girl escaping in their midst. Emily made her way through a torn fence, and out into the large canyon beyond.


	18. Ensnared By Fate

**Soulbound**

Chapter XII, Part I - Link: Ensnared By Fate

 **Port Royal, Jamaica - Fishing Docks  
May 11, 2016 CE (74 Eldin, 1437 HCE Hyrulean Reckoning)  
10:45 AM, UTC-05:0**0

Seagulls cried out along the sea winds. Fisherman and sailors alike moved to and fro, shifting precious gear and cargo between the docks and their vessels. Among their items, large fishing nets, attached to small floats, rested along the decks. Fish wriggled inside them, unable to escape.

As the fishermen went about their day, folk songs and reggae music filled the air. Boat engines tore through the sound, and before long, cascades of boats ventured into the Caribbean Sea once more. They cast their nets into the water, as they had done countless times before. One such fisherman sat in his boat, managing the hydraulic crane while his fellow crewmen watched... and waited.

He watched the boat speed through the crystal blue water. Along with his fellow crew members, he grabbed a part of a large fishing net. Like a chain, they hummed and sang into the mid morning sun as they tossed portions of the net from one person to another. When the line reached the end of the chain, the last man tossed the net into the water. Gray floats poked up from the surface as the net sank into the water.

With their fishing net in place, they sped off in search of better fishing grounds. All around them, countless other fishing boats, towing their own fishing lines, sped through the water. Surrounded by the pristine beauty of the Caribbean, the act of fishing offered the men on board a brief respite from the chaos consuming the world.

"All over the US, thousands are lining up in shelters and makeshift homes as armed forces fight to contain the breach along the Vegas Incursion Zone. While US Forces have regained control of some towns and cities along the Zone's border, there seems to be no end in sight for the conflict. It's estimated that over 100,000 lives have been lost in the effort to regain control of the area, while millions more remain trapped and unable to flee. Sources state that the monsters, lead by an Aberrant, have begun moving toward northern Arizona in ear—"

The fisherman turned off the knob of his radio, unable to stomach the news report any longer. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he glanced down at his fellow. His companion glared back at him.

"Hey! Wah mek did yuh tun dat off? Mi ena listening to dat!"

"Wi don't need to hear dat. Wi ave enough insanity fah one week!"

Out the corner of his eye, the fisherman watched a barge appear on the horizon. Locked in small cages and secured by chains, scores of imprisoned Zoran Aberrants appeared before his eyes. He snorted at the barge, unable to contain his disgust at the grotesque cargo the ship carried. The way they moved, the way their eyes glimmered with that unholy light... everything about them perturbed him. At first glance, once could hardly tell them apart from the fish they intended to catch.

 _Ever since they showed up, nothing has been the same. We can't even catch a single fish without one of those freaks stealing our catch. Yet the foreigners and tourists love them... Sandraedi's making a killing with those Aberrants right now._

The boat circled close to port in silence. Only the sound of the engine roaring and propellers tearing through the water filled their ears, the music vanishing along the wind. It came to a stop along the docks. Little by little, the crew secured a line of rope, mooring the boat to the docks.

Stepping onto the aged wooden pier, the fisherman glanced around. Along with his shipmates, he rummaged through a locker in search of additional nets to bring with them. Tension poisoned the air, like a shadow falling over the aged, crumbling buildings around them. With a sigh, the fisherman drug several fishing nets out of storage and onto the boat.

 _The ones swimming out at sea... they're smart. Smarter than the comatose wrecks on display in the marine biology centre. He don't seem to care, though... any Aberrant is a good one to him, as long as they show off to the masses and make him a quick buck. He thinks they can be trained, to dance like circus animals. The only good Aberrant is a dead one..._

As the fisherman's thoughts trailed on, a sudden movement in the water caught his eye. He froze. Peering out in the water, he spotted movement in the net he and the others just set.

"Two days ago, at 7:30AM, locals at a Grand Cayman village spotted a mysterious Aberrant approaching a group of swimmers. While no one was harmed, witnesses claim that locals moved in the chase it back into the ocean. Other Zora-type Aberrants like it have been spotted all along the Caribbean Islands. If you or anyone should encounter a Zora-type Aberrant while sailing, report the incident to a local law enforcement official immediately."

Despite his irritation at the sound of the radio being turned on once more, the fisherman's eyes remained glued to the net. A gasp escaped his lips. Snapping of lines followed. Portions of the net vanished beneath the disturbed waters. The sounds of something thrashing underwater echoed through the air.

 **"Wi gat someting!"**

The fisherman scrambled onto the boat, and untied it from the docks. Engines roared to life. Propellers tore through the water. Other boats circled around the net, perturbed and curious about the catch within. Grabbing one end of the net, the fisherman and his fellow crew circled around their prize. They drug the net through the water, towing their catch back to docks.

He stepped toward the boat hydraulics. Twisting several levers, the crane spun across the deck, and off to the starboard side. Narrowing his eyes, he watched his fellow crew members secure the ends of the net to a hook. Every watched in silence as the fishing net began to rise out of the water.

Countless fish squirmed inside the net. The fisherman's eyes widened as he spotted a pair large fins poking out. Gasps of shock filled the air, punctuated by grinding metal. The mass thrashed in the air, sending the net swinging in every direction.

An aquatic voice gasped from within. Crowds of people gathered around the scene. The fisherman, too, stared at it, realizing the situation's gravity all too late. Something more than just the fish had wandered into the waters around Port Royal... and now that something clawed at them, eager to escape the confinement of the fishing net...

* * *

Link struggled to move. All around him, fins swatted at his face. His fins, tangled up in netting, refused to budge. Gritting his teeth, he shoved his growing panic aside. He peered down at the crowd of Terrans gathering at the dock, their faces aghast.

 _Oh no..._

He squeezed his eyes shut. Without realizing it, he had wandered too far, and had made his way to another island—one far different from the previous one he discovered two days ago. The sight of civilization then filled his heart with hope: he could finally escape the ocean. He could remove the mask, and find his way back to Zelda.

As Link's eyes met the fishermen and bystanders, images of that day filled his mind: the day he first made contact with a Terran village. They screamed at him in alien tongues. Within moments, an angry mob descended on him, eager to drive him away from their settlement and back to whence he came.

"Wait! Wait, please! I won't hurt you! Please, I need your help!"

Every attempt to reach them fell on deaf ears. They did not understand the Hylian words that left his mouth. Then... pain like nothing else grazed his shoulder. Unable to withstand their powerful weapons, he had no choice but to flee back into the sea. At that moment, Raylos' words haunted him.

 _'The Terrans are vicious monsters! They will find you, capture you, make you dance to their whim...'_

 _I was careless again... Too focused on hunting to pay attention... to my surroundings..._

Without warning, the crane hoisting up the net released its grip. Link and the cache of fish fell onto wooden planks with a splat. Hundreds of fish dropped on top of him. The rope loosened, freeing his fins. Exposed to the elements, he looked up at the unfamiliar Terran faces. Dread and horror filled the eyes of every one who looked upon him.

He bolted up onto his feet, tossing both loose netting and squirming fish around him everywhere. The Terran's gasped, startled by his appearance. He tore the last of the fishing net away from his body.

Not wanting to cause further panic, Link scooted away from the mass of fish, and scrambled onto his feet. He shoved aside the group of men in front of him, and bolted toward the town. Before his eyes, men, women, children alike screamed in horror at him, uttering a terrible, familiar word as he bolted for freedom:

 _"Aberrant! There's an Aberrant!"_

 _"He's headed for the town!"_

 _"Stop him! Don't let him get away!"_

 _I have to get out of here... have to find a place to lay low... but where?_

He dared not focus on the terrified Terrans all around him. Like the strange woman he met so long ago, they gazed at him as if a crazed Moblin ran in their midst. The same gaze appeared on the faces of the village he stumbled on days ago.

 _I'm sorry. I don't wish to frighten you all... but I have to find her. My people need me. Zelda needs me!_

Car horns blared in his ears. Vehicles skidded to a stop. Civilians darted away from him, mortified at the creature before them. Where ever he ran, where ever he stumbled on, life for the Terrans ground to a sudden halt.

Objects whizzed past his face. Link looked at the strange buildings around him. Dark-skinned Terrans, armed with the same weapons as those from the other island, bore down at him from the roof tops. He zig-zagged through alleyways, tumbling on bags of trash.

 _There's no going back now. If I can just get away from these people... I can finally take off this mask... then maybe... maybe I can get some answers..._

Link looked in front of him. One man, riding on a bicycle, froze in terror. He pointed at Link, shouting in alien words. More people fled in terror at the sight of him.

 _"It's him!"_

 _"The one from the news!"_

 _"Get away from us, you monster!"_

Cars slammed into one another along the roads. Figures dressed in camouflage chased after him, armed with rifles. He jumped aside growing wreckage, avoiding the smoke and flame. Irritation spread across his arm, his scales growing dry from the ocean breeze.

 _I don't have much time... I have to—ugh!_

Stinging pain shot through Link's spine. Out the corner of his eye, he spotted a dart embedded into his shoulder. With no time to spare, he jumped headlong into a set of hanging clotheslines. Link swung through the air. He landed on the ground with a crouch.

Adrenaline rushed through his veins. He sprinted through the dark alleys, desperate to get away from his pursuers. Link hid behind a dark brick wall, studying the movements of the cars and people beyond.

For several tense moments, he waited. The commotion outside quieted down. Link pulled the dart out of his shoulder. He held it up in front of his eyes.

 _Wha...? What did... they...?_

Vertigo set in. Link stumbled around. He held his hands out in front of him, staggered and dizzied. Moments later, he collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air. From out of the shadows, a group of Terrans surrounded him. He could not make out their faces: only the gleam of metal and a bright orange shape from the dark alley.

The forms approached him. Link held up his arms in protest. Warm flesh touched the moist scales along his arm. Everything shifted in and out of focus. As everything faded to white, Terran voices called out to him.

 _"Tek him wey. Drow him in wid de oders."_

 _Zel... da... Ah... I..._

* * *

 **Kingston, Jamaica — Sandraedi's Aquarium of Exotic Wonders**  
 **May 13, 2016 CE (76 Eldin, 1437 HCE Hyrulean Reckoning)**  
 **1:00 PM**

Alex's eyes snapped open. Instead of the boundless blue sea, she found herself in dark room. Unable to see anything around her, she grasped at the water around her. Her arms trembled against her will.

Without warning, dim fluorescent lights flickered on. The glass frame of a room-sized aquarium surrounded her. She gasped in surprise. Her eyes darted around the tank. Every inch of her body shook. A knot formed in her throat.

 _Where am I? How did I get here?_

Several tanks, identical to her own, occupied the area round her. Humanoid forms, covered in scales much like her own, slumped against the walls of their tanks. Cuffs wrapped around their wrists and necks.

 _Zoras?... They look... they look just like those people... on that deserted island! ...What the...?_

One after another, they opened their eyes. Each of them turned to face her, their right eyes glimmering with an strange light. They swam toward the glass walls of their tanks, staring at her in awe and reverence. Alien words left the mouths, their words both hopeful and saddened. Alex shook her head, unable to understand them.

All around her, their pleas grew louder. Within the babbling of foreign tongues, one word above all else stuck out to her—"Link". As minutes passed, and their chanting of that name grew louder, so did Alex's growing discomfort. She furrowed her brows and frowned.

 _Why are they calling me "Link"? This is creepy as hell..._

As she struggled to understand the situation, her thoughts turned to the last words of Jabu-Jabu.

 _«He lives... the Hero lives...»_

 _«Jabu-Jabu, what are you going on about? You're not making any sense!»_

 _«He lives... in you...»_

Drowning out the voices, she turned away from them, shaken by the revelation.

 _No way... It couldn't be! This has to be some kind of mistake! There's no way I could be soulbound to Link, of all people. There's no way something like that could happen... is there?_

Loud thumping tore her away from her thoughts. A bright light entered the dim warehouse. Through an open doorway, a dark figure pounded his fist against the wall.

"That's enough out of you all! Another word out of you Aberrants, and I'll get Sandraedi in here! Mark my words!" A voice, laced with a thick Jamaican accent, shouted into the room.

The door slammed shut. All around Alex, the frightened faces of the Zoran Aberrants scurried into the back of their tanks. Alex, however, grew more and more confused by the minute. She closed her eyes, processing what just happened.

 _What the fuck? Aberrant? What the hell is an Aberrant? Why are they calling them that?_

More and more, Alex's confusion grew. She swam toward the back of her tank, shaking her head. Her mind played back the events that brought her to this point, in some hope of understanding her predicament. The image from her dream, and the phantom of Link as that light swallowed Flight 791, filled her mind. Alex squeezed her eyes and her membranes shut.

 _Link was there, in my dream. He was supposed to be there, yet... he didn't show up at all! If Jabu-Jabu was right... if this 'Convergence' thing really is happening... then where is Link? Why isn't he here? Why hasn't he shown himself? Does he even exist at all, anymore...?_

Alex sighed.

 _Maybe I'm just thinking too hard about this... and yet... my memory... something isn't right. It's become so spotty... I remember being out on a hunt, and then I blacked out again... and now I'm here...am I... am I being taken over by something?_

Before her terrified thoughts could consume her any further, she shook her head.

 _Nope. So much nope. I am not entertaining this any further. Nope nope nope._

Fingers tapped on glass, drawing Alex away from her thoughts. She looked around the aquarium. To her surprise, she found a set of golden eyes, bearing slitted pupils, peering back at her. A masculine face, framed by hammerhead-like appendages, frowned at her in utter sorrow. Unlike the others, his eyes bore no light within them.

 _What's up with this guy?_

"Are you the one they call 'Link'?" He asked.

She looked back at him, both amazed that he spoke English, and incredulous that he would address her by that name. For a moment, she blinked back at him and snorted. She raised her eyebrow at him, scrunching her nose in irritation.

"Excuse me, do I look like a moron in a green tunic to you?" Alex narrowed her eyes at him. "I don't know what's up with these guys around here, but I swear, if you ever call me 'Link' again, I will find my way out of this tank and kick your ass, buddy!"

The figure winced, taken aback by her hostility.

"Okay, okay! Geez, you don't need to be so hostile to people, you know... I was just asking you a simple question, _mister_."

Alex felt her blood boil. Her brows furrowed in sheer anger. The Zoran Aberrant held his hands up in surrender, hoping to avoid further confrontation with her. Her gills worked into overdrive.

Memories flooded her mind. Mocking laughter filled her ears. Faces of former classmates taunted her.

 _"Ha! Look at her! She doesn't even have boobs!"_

 _"Maybe we should call her 'Cutting Board Donovan'!"_

 _"Hey, Ironing Board! How's life treating you? Ha ha ha ha ha!"_

" **Did. You. Just. Call. Me. A** ** _Guy!?_** " Alex pounded her fist against the glass wall, snarling. "First you call me Link, then you call me a guy... If I were you, buddy, I'd quit before you _really_ fry my hide..."

The figure clasped his hands over his mouth, his eyes wide with embarrassment. He backed away, ashamed by his words. Glancing at another tank nearby, an aged, Zoran figure swam toward them, his voice low.

"Please forgive him. He meant no offense to you, miss. To be completely honest, we had no idea what you were when they brought you here..."

Alex let out an exasperated sigh.

 _I'm not that flat... am I? I know I've undergone a lot of changes since the plane crash, but Jesus Christ..._

"Alright, buddy... I'll let you off the hook... this time. Besides, us Zora gotta swim together, right?"

A smile formed on the older figure's face. The figure touched a scaled hand to the glass wall of his tank. He then shook his head at her.

"I'm Bill. This over here is Richard, an... acquaintance of mine... before the light twisted us... what about you? What is your name?"

Alex paused, unsure if she wanted to answer. Uncomfortable silence lingered in the air. Bill and Richard waited. Alex gazed back up at them.

"My name is Alexandra, but everybody calls me Alex..."

Bill offered her a sad smile.

"It's nice to meet you, Alex. A shame we have to meet under these circumstances... I guess... It was inevitable that they'd round more of us up like this..."

Confused, Alex raised her brow at him.

"I don't understand."

Richard looked back at her, his eyes full of sorrow. Other Zoran Aberrants turned toward them. Bill's voice cracked as he continued on.

"I don't know what happened—None of us do. Ever since that night, nothing has been the same. Each and every one of tried to reach out to the people, to show them that we are still human inside... And now, the owner of this aquarium has seen fit to hunt us like animals, to parade us around like a circus..."

Throughout the entire aquarium, the Zoran Aberrants nodded at her. More and more eyes landed on Alex. Hushed voices, once silent, filled the warehouse. Some uttered words Alex recognized, while others spoke in alien tongues.

"The light twisted every one of us into these wretched forms." Bill paused for a moment, recollecting himself before continuing. "Some of us had managed to escape back into the sea, yet still, they continue to find us, where ever we are..."

Bill swam to the back of his tank, unable to contain his distress any further. Alex watched him break down before her eyes.

"It's over... There's no hope for any of us... It's only a matter of time before Sandraedi kills us, and adds our teeth to his 'collection'. I won't ever see my wife or son again... they'll only see me as an Aberrant... a monster..."

Alex frowned, her worry for these beings growing.

 _They're... they're just like me... trapped inside these bodies... But why are they looking at me? It's like they think I'm some kind of messiah or something..._

"Hey... I hardly know you, but that's not true at all..." Alex drew in a deep breath. "I don't know your story, Bill, but... you're just like me. We're all still human, deep down inside. We have thoughts and feelings all our own. Whatever happens... whatever comes our way... you have to fight! If you really want to see your wife and son again, you'll find a way out of this shithole, and back to them! If they really love you... they'll realize it's you... Whatever you do, don't give up..."

 _I can't believe I'm saying this. This is the sappiest shit that's ever left my mouth. What the fuck is wrong with me? I have no room to be giving motivational speeches. I have my own problems to deal with! I've got no time to be worrying about anybody else, and yet here am I... God, I'm such an idiot..._

Awed whispers filled the air. Alex blushed, embarrassed by her impromptu speech. Bill and the other Aberrants gazed back at her, their eyes filled with flickers of hope.

"Perhaps you are right... maybe we shouldn't give up just yet. Perhaps there might be a way out of this... assuming we don't become possessed again..."

"Possessed...?"

Richard pointed toward the other Aberrants with gleaming eyes.

"You see those ones? Something... has taken over them. Ever since you showed up, they keep calling out the name 'Link'. For some reason... you seem very important to them, Alex..."

Alex let out another exasperated sigh.

"I think they have a case of mistaken identity..."

She looked away from them, unable to bear their pleading eyes any longer. Their voices, calling out the name 'Link', filled the room, hushed and subdued. Richard pursed his lips, sensing Alex's discomfort with the subject. Despite this, he continued on.

"I'm not sure, either. Those of us who still have our minds don't know how to help them. Say, do you remember how you got here?"

Alex shook her head.

"I... I remember hunting some dolphins, and then... nothing. The next thing I knew, I woke up here... It's been like that ever since this nightmare started... My memory's become swiss cheese... Sometimes, I wake up, not knowing where am I..."

Richard closed his eyes.

"It must have happened to you, too, then! We've all been having these blackouts! I think... what's happening to those people happens to us sometimes... Like, we fall asleep, and something takes over us while we sleep..."

Bill tapped his scaled hands along the glass wall of his tank.

"Richard! Stop scaring the poor girl! We have enough things to worry about with Sandraedi!"

"Yes, sir..."

Alex furrowed her brow in irritation.

"Richard, you sure are a sad fish, you know that?"

Confused, Richard blinked his eyes. Alex smirked at him.

"Was that supposed to be a joke?"

"No, it was me stating the obvious, sir."

The sound of a door opening in the distance rang through the water. Alex's eyes widened. Throughout the warehouse, each and every single Zoran Aberrant hid in the darkest corners of their tanks. Alex, however, remained floating in the center of hers, undeterred by the strangers that barged into the room.

Footsteps clicked against linoleum tiles.A group of men, dressed in t-shirts and jeans, walked into the warehouse. They strolled past the other tanks, peering at the countless other Zoran Aberrants imprisoned within. The pair stopped in front of hers.

"Ah dis de one?"

"Yes."

Alex blinked, struggling to parse the patois that escaped their lips. Through the glass, she peered back at a large, obese man in an orange shirt. A necklace of jagged teeth hung from his neck. He scratched his speckled beard, appraising her. She glared back at his, loathing his judgmental gaze.

"Shi awake...," A man in an orange shirt began, "She ah different fram de oders."

"Shi ah strange one. Wi tink shi ah mon. Shi fool wi gud." His companion cocked his head at her. "Luk pon har eye. De demon light ah gaan."

"Mi don't care. Demon light or nah, shi will entertain."

 _I don't like the look on your face one bit, pal... and what's with the shark teeth?_

"Uh, excuse me?" Alex interrupted, "Is this a private conversation? I mean, I don't know what you guys are doing here, but I'd appreciate if you just didn't talk about me like I couldn't hear you through this glass wall."

"No, Alex, what are you doing? Get away!" Bill and Richard whispered.

From their hiding places, the Zoran Aberrants looked on the scene with horror. Ignoring the sea of eyes on them, the two men paused. They looked at one another, then back at Alex, and then back at each other. The man in orange stepped toward the aquarium.

"Yuh speak English, Aberrant... yuh mussi fram America somewhere, judging by fi yuh accent... but nuh matta. Yuh a fi mi now, fish ooman. Du nah figet dat."

Alex cocked her head, her face full of confusion. She crossed her arms, while her blade-like fins jetted out in either direction. Rubbing the studs on her gauntlets, she harrowed her eyes at them.

"Did you just threaten me?" Alex snorted. "Look pal, I really just want to go home. Do you guys know where an American Embassy around here is? If you could just... let me out of this aquarium and show me the way out, I'll happily fuck off and get out of your hair."

The man furrowed his brow in anger. He pointed his finger at her, irritated with her defiance.

"Yuh a going nuh weh, Aberrant."

He tapped on the glass. The man reached into this pocket, and pulled out a small, palm-sized remote. His eyes bore into her own, while a wicked grin forced itself onto his face. Bill and the other Aberrants gasped in shock at the sight of the device.

"Fi mi name ah Oshane Sandraedi. Mi am de owna of dis aquarium. Yuh will wuk fi mi, an yuh will entertain fi mi customers. Dey pay whole heap of money to see yuh Aberrants. Ef dey nah happy wid yuh, yuh will guh hungry..."

Sandraedi made a chewing motion with his fingers and mouth. Alex pursed her lips, her anger boiling.

"...An ef yuh disappoint mi, gyal... mi ago add yuh fi mi collection here..."

He dangled the jagged, shark-like teeth along his necklace. She furrowed her brow, struggling to understand him. Alex blinked and shook her head. As she stared at his necklace of teeth, a dreadful realization dawned on Alex.

 _Is that what Bill was talking about when he talked about 'Sandraedi's Collection'?! Oh my fucking God... That is disgusting! They're freaking animals...!_

Alex cried out in rage. She darted toward the glass wall, and pounded her fists against its surface. Sandraedi and his assistant jumped away from the tank, startled by her sudden movement. Bearing jagged teeth of her own, Alex glared at the two of them.

"No! You can't do this to me! I'm a human and an American citizen! I have rights! Let me out of here! I demand to see your manager!"

Uncomfortable silence filled the air. Sandraedi held his mouth up to his lips, stifling a chuckle. He then broke out into howling laughter. His assistant, too, laughed alongside him.

At the sight of them making a complete mockery of her, Alex rammed her shoulder against the glass. Her mind raced, the gravity of her situation all too apparent now. No matter how hard she pounded and thrashed, the glass refused to shatter.

 _How did I get here? Am I in Jamaica or something? I thought Jamaicans were supposed to be nice?_

"Yuh ah funny, gyal. Mi ago let yuh inna pon a lickkle something: Yuh ah nuh human. Yuh ah Aberrant. Yuh ave nuh 'rights'."

Alex's blood boiled. She swam to the top of her tank. Eager to break out, she reached for the metal bars above. Her fingers made contact. Electricity surged through her body. She jerked her hand away, body convulsing.

Sandraedi laughed once more. His assistant turned toward him, his expression blank and unreadable. Watching her sink to the bottom, he wagged his finger at her.

"Yuh should nah ave don dat, gyal. Dere's ah current of electricity passing drough dat... someting fi yuh kine cannah resist..."

He turned toward his assistant.

"Begin har training tomorrow."

"Yes, suh."

Panting, Alex watched as the pair walked away from her tank. Alone with her thoughts, she closed her eyes. The face of her grandfather filled her mind, followed by her sister.

 _I'm going home. I'm going to find my way out of this shithole. Somehow, I'll figure out a way. Grandpa... I hope you're doing well. Sorry to make you worry. Cass... take care of the old man while I'm gone. I hope you're doing okay, too._

She wrapped her arms and fins around herself.

 _I'll figure something out. I refuse to rot in this tank the rest of my life._


	19. Bread and Circuses

**Soulbound**

Chapter XII, Part II - Link/Ganondorf: Bread and Circuses

 **Author's Note:** Hi there! It's been a while, hasn't it? Don't worry, I'd never forget about this batch of crazy. I'd like to take a second to thank everybody who favorited and/or put the story on their alerts. It really means a lot. As always, please feel free to leave any comments or thoughts in a review. With that, onto the next part of Chapter XII.

 **Florida, United States — Palmaris Medical Research, Miami-Dade Branch**  
 **May 12, 2016 CE (75 Eldin, 1437 HCE Hyrulean Reckoning)**  
 **12:00 PM, Eastern Standard Time**

Palmgate sat at his desk, thumbing through manilla folders and documents. Along the wall, across from where he sat, news broadcasts played on a large, flat television screen. His thoughts drifted elsewhere, while he tuned out the continuous voices of the anchors pouring out from the speakers.

 _What does the military intend to do with Zelda and her vessel? They went well out of their way to save one of the very beings they so despise. Do they think her power alone can help them contain the Demon King?_

He furrowed his eyebrows.

 _Or perhaps... they wish to study the High One, and the effects of the Triforce of Wisdom on our world? Hmph... such things are beyond their feeble minds. Still, their tendency to move the High One from base to base is most..._ _ **aggravating**_ _._

Snorting in disgust, Palmgate placed the manilla folders off to the side. He opened up his laptop, and searched through online records and databases. Nearby, he grabbed a nearby cup of coffee, and took a sip from his mug. As he set the mug down, a news report on the television caught his eye.

"Local fisherman and citizens in Port Royal, Jamaica witnessed a mysterious Aberrant escape into city yesterday morning at around 11 AM. Police and JDF forces pursued the Aberrant for several harrowing minutes before the creature was tranquilized. Sources claim that the Aberrant was seized by Oshane Sandraedi, the owner and proprietor of the controversial 'Sandraedi's Aquarium of Exotic Wonders'."

Palmgate looked up at the screen. Laying face down on, surrounded by a group of dark-skinned men, a Zoran figure appeared. Long, blade-like fins stuck out from the Aberrant's forearms, their tips speckled an algae-like green. Countless tattoos adorned the broad, muscular arms and shoulders of the Aberrant. Fleshy strands, tipped a gradient yellow, dangled along either side of the Aberrant's face. A dolphin-like tail, speckled green like the rest of their fins, hung behind the Aberrant's skull.

As the Aberrant's face came into full view of the camera, Palmgate stared at the creature with intense interest.

 _No... how can this be? That creature... it hardly resembles a human. It's too far removed from the hybrids that exist now. It's too Zoran, too..._ _ **pure**_ _to be a product of the Convergence..._

Palmgate stood up from his desk. His eyes remained glued to the television screen. With every passing moment, his fascination with the Aberrant uncovered in Jamaica grew in intensity.

 _Perhaps... that creature may lead me to the answers I seek._

His mind made up, he pushed a button on the nearby desk intercom.

"Yes, Dr. Palmgate?" Carmine's voice responded.

"Carmine, please get in touch with a Mr. Oshane Sandraedi of 'Sandraedi's Aquarium of Exotic Wonders'. Tell him that I am willing to negotiate a purchase of the Zoran Aberrant he found yesterday. I wish to make him an offer he cannot refuse..."

"Of course. Will that be everything, sir?"

"Yes, Carmine."

"Very well."

The intercom went silent. Palmgate returned to his paperwork. Before he could get very far, a beep echoed from the intercom.

"Dr. Palmgate... Mr. Ganondorf is on the line. He says he needs to speak with you—it's urgent."

Palmgate pursed his lips at the intercom.

"Transfer him over."

"Right away, sir..."

* * *

 _Thick fog blanketed everything in sight. All around Alex, orbs of light danced in the mist. She looked around, confused and frightened. Child-like sobs echoed in every direction. Alex walked forward, leaves and dead grass crunching beneath her feet._

 _"Hello?" She called out._

 _Her hands raced toward her throat, startled by the sound of her restored voice. Instead of Zoran scales, human flesh greeted her fingertips. Alex glanced down at her body, and found herself back in her original form._

 _This again? What the hell is going on here...?_

 _Beyond the fog, forested canopy obscured the skies. Dead trees, twisted into hideous shapes, surrounded her. On the trees, hollowed out faces, contorted into grotesque grins and sneers, bore into her. Shivers ran down every inch of Alex's body._

Oh... this is _so_ not creepy at all.

 _The sobbing grew louder. Alex drew in a deep breath and exhaled. She walked further into the forest. Every step she took made her heart race, and her body tremble. In spite of her mounting dread, something about the crying child-like voice worried her._

 _"Is someone there?"_

 _Thunder billowed in the clouds. Flashes of lightning streaked through the canopy of leaves and foliage. Rain poured down into the foggy forest. Alex broke into a sprint._

 _Her eyes glanced through the monstrous faces in the trees. More cries echoed through the trees. Through the fog of mist and leaves, Alex watched as the skies darkened above her. Alien words drifted through the air._

 _In the vast, gnarled green, Alex stood at a set of ruined, broken steps. She looked up, and found herself staring up into the doorway of an ancient building. Thick tree roots ensnared the architecture. Alex, wide-eyed, froze at the sight of it._

 _She squinted her eyes. Above the entrance, hidden behind entangled ivy, a familiar symbol shone in the darkness. Alex gasped at the sight of the symbol._

 _Rain soaked Alex's jacket. She wrapped her arms around her body, shivering. Before she could move any closer to the temple, billowing wind ripped through the area. Amid the gusts, the sound of a locomotive horn rang around her._

 _Alex witnessed phantoms pour out of the forest, shifting between two forms: A small, pointy-eared child, and a wooden tree-like being. Countless monsters chased them toward the temple's entrance—toward Alex. She jumped back, startled by the sight of them._

 _They screamed toward the heavens. Alex shook her head, unable to understand them. One particular phantom—that of a ten year old boy with a maple-leaf face—collapsed on the ground in front of her. As if seeing through her, he crawled closer to her, his ever-shifting face desperate and terrified. He reached up to her, and cried out to her, uttering a single word:_

 _"Link... Link..."_

 _A train whistle rang in her ears again. Alex clasped her ears, taken back by the sheer volume. She looked up beyond the fog, beyond the twisted forest, and stared into the gleaming eyes of a demonic face, set against the steel hull of a locomotive engine. Searing blue fire burned beneath several train wheels._

 _Standing atop the train, a small figure in green loomed over the misty forest. Two green top hats covered his head, hiding his ginger hair. Blackened eyes pierced her own. A thick mustache stuck out from either side above his lips. Pointed fangs gleamed in the darkness. Pointed ears, much like those of the forest children before her, framed his face._

 _The demon train sped toward Alex and the temple behind her. She screamed into the darkness. Panicking, she raced toward the forest child in front of her, only for her arms to phase through him._

 _Shadow fell on the area around her. The demon train crashed into the stone, dispersing black and crimson energy into the air. Alex watched as the small, green figure hopped onto the ground, and walked into the temple._

 _The forest melted into black. Alex opened her eyes. She found herself floating above a smoldering river of magma. She recognized the rock-like creatures all too well._

 _A group of Goron Aberrants stood guard in front of another temple's entrance. The symbol of the Triforce glimmered in the orange heat. Standing before them, an effeminate figure wearing a thick red cloak. Alex's eyes widened._

 _Ghirahim flicked his fingertips. A blackened rapier appeared in a flash of diamonds. He looked back at the Aberrants with utter contempt. At the sight of his blade manifest, the Goron Aberrants fled deeper into the volcano temple. Underneath his bangs, Ghirahim let out a maddened cackle before disappearing in a flash of diamonds._

 _Black and red smoke weaved around the temple. Darkness fell onto the volcano. The earth rumbled all around Alex. Blackness swallowed her whole._

 _She bolted upright, and found herself deep underwater. The tall, menacing figure of Zant stood in front of another temple, sunken far below the water's surface. Color drained from everything in sight. Zoran Aberrants faded into wisps of ever-shifting light. Unopposed, the figure stepped into the temple, casting it into twilit darkness._

 _The world around her shifted again. Alex blinked, staring into the decrepit mausoleum around her. Shadowy figures, dressed in suits adorned with a crying eye, stood before a robed figure in red. He gathered whisps of dark energy into his hands, and fired it at his opponents. The dark magic seeped into their bodies, and before long, the ninja-like figures turned their daggers onto one another, compelled by the sorcerer's magic._

 _Agahnim stared into the hidden temple in the darkness. The familiar symbol of the Triforce glimmered in the eerie blue torchlight around him. Without another word, he stepped into the temple, content that his brainwashing would subdue the Sheikah Aberrants around him._

 _Whisps of energy surrounded Alex. The eerie blue of the mausoleum shattered. Alex fell onto her knees, clasping her head in pain. Her hands touched sand-covered stone. Gritting her teeth, she pushed herself up onto her legs._

 _Cackling laughter screeched in Alex's ears. She looked up, and saw two aged hags floating above an arena on broomsticks. Tall women, with skin bronzed by the sun, stood their ground below. The two turned to one another, nodded, and circled the warriors above. A dark vortex formed beneath their feet. The women screamed as the darkness consumed them and their sisters. Ear piercing cackles escaped the witches lips. Unopposed, the two flew toward the entrance to a temple, far beyond the arena._

 _Before Alex could react any further, the world drowned in a sea of fire and ice. Darkness followed. When Alex opened her eyes, she stood in the sanctum of an ancient castle. Hyrulean banners fluttered in the wind. Countless broken shards of pottery laid strewn in disarray. From out of a doorway, several masked figures, wearing upside down eyes, approached Alex. She shook her head, unable to place or recognize them._

 _The overweight figure, wearing a prominent three-horned mask, pointed to the others. Incomprehensible words filled the air. Each of his subordinates nodded their heads, and clasped their hands together. Red light surrounded them, followed by puffs of smoke and paper talismans. The figure ventured further into the castle, in search of something secret and hidden._

 _A whirling vortex of shadow surrounded Alex. She fell into the darkness, screaming at the top of her lungs. Her body spun in circle. As coppery locks whipped around her face, a blinding light shot out from the depths of the void._

«Link... Link... wake up...»

 _The regal voice of a woman called out that wretched name. Alex held up her hands in front of her. She squinted her eyes before the light. Exasperated groans escaped her lips._

 _Goddammit, not this shit again... I've had about enough of this crap!_

«Hear me... This world... is in... danger... Grave... danger...»

 _Uncomfortable silence filled the darkness. Searing light shot up beneath Alex. Warmth spread across the back of her left hand. As darkness gave way to light, blinding white consumed her awareness..._

* * *

 **Kingston, Jamaica - Sandraedi's Aquarium of Exotic Wonders, Warehouse**  
 **May 14, 2016 CE (77 Eldin, 1437 HCE Hyrulean Reckoning)**  
 **5:00 AM, UTC-05:00**

Alex bolted upright. Her eyes snapped open. The terrible, familiar surroundings of her tank greeted her. She glanced around, torn between the surreality of her dream, and the painful reality she had come to know.

 _That... that dream again... Ever since a couple of weeks ago, I've been having that dream. Why do I keep seeing this same thing, over and over and over again?_

Dim golden light shimmered on the back of her left hand—the very same sensation she felt in her dream. Alex gasped in surprise. She stared at the palm of her left hand. Her hand trembled. Slowly, Alex turned her hand over.

 _Wait a minute... could it be... what I think it is?_

As she turned her hand over, the warmth vanished. The mysterious glow disappeared, leaving only the dim blue lights and her growing bewilderment. She blinked and cocked her head to one side.

 _That's weird... I could've sworn I felt something just now. Perhaps I'm just overthinking this..._

She moved against the back walls of her tank. Curling her body into the fetal position, Alex closed her eyes. Alone with nothing but her thoughts, she sat in total silence.

Alex rested her head on the back wall of her tank and sighed. She opened her glossy eyes and stared up at the metal rods above her tank. Currents of electricity crackled around them. Beyond the dark warehouse, she heard the rumbling of a generator.

Sadness wavered in her heart. Peering off to the side, she felt her cranial, dolphin-like tail fin dangle behind her. She stared down at the silvery scales covering her entire body. Her gaze turned up at the reflection on the glass wall's surface.

 _How long has it been since I woke up like this? It feels like it's been forever since the plane crash. I don't even know how I've managed to survive in the sea this long... and now I'm going to be made into a circus sideshow attraction... How did this happen? Am I... ever going to be 'normal' again? Am I going to spend the rest of my life stuck as a fish person?_

Alex shook her head and clenched her left fist.

 _No... I can't let myself think like that. There's got to be a way to get this damn mask off my face. Even after all this time, I'm still human deep down. I... I haven't lost myself to this thing!_

Lights flickered on all around her. She squinted her eyes, and raised her arms and fins above her face. The dark warehouse sprang to life. One by one, the other Zoran Aberrants awoke. They turned their attention toward her, eyes glimmering with that terrible, eerie light.

 _Oh, here we go again..._

Alex looked away from them, unable to tolerate their reverent stares any longer. Doors swung open in the distance, startling her. She sat up straight, and put her back toward the wall. Her eyes stared at the walkway outside.

Pounding footsteps filled the warehouse. Several men came into view, carrying metal rings and chains. They stared her down, as though dealing with a wild animal. One man moved toward the side of her tank. After exchanging a pair of nods, a buzzer filled Alex's ears.

Alex's eyes darted above. The surge of electricity died, and the metal bars slid into walls of her tank. When the bars vanished from view, Alex playfully gazed back at the men.

"Out," A deep voice commanded.

"Ooh, ooh, are we going on a field trip?!" Alex smirked. "I love field trips! Especially ones involving swimming pools! Say, do you have any of those bobble-head hula dancer things lying around? Kids dig bobble head hula dancers!"

"That was not a request, Aberrant. You **_will_** exit that water tank, or I will **_drag_** you out of there myself."

Alex returned a coy smile, amused by her captor's irrtation at her defiance. She swam toward the glass wall.

"Now, now, fella... didn't your mother teach you anything about politeness? What's the magic word?"

She curled her index finger, motioning for him to give the desired response. Instead, the group of men brandished stun batons her direction. Undeterred, she let out a sigh, and held her hands up in surrender.

"Alright, alright... no need to bash my head in. I'm coming out, oh slave-drivers of wayward fish elves..."

With a snort of indifference, she swam toward the top of the tank. She climbed out of the water, taking in deep breaths of air for the first time in days. Alex pushed herself onto her feet, and jumped down in front of the men.

Bodies swarmed around her. They grabbed onto her arms and fins, and pinned her down. From out of the group, a figure holding a set of chains, a collar, and handcuffs approached. Alex gritted her from the pain of her arms being pulled on.

They shoved aside her cranial tail-fin, and clamped a collar around her neck. Alex choked as they pulled her onto her feet with the chain attached. Metal cuffs clamped over her gauntlets. Secured by the restraints, they drug Alex onto her feet.

 _It's not every day I'm surrounded by a bunch of bullies and wannabe badasses. They must feel so proud of themselves for ganging up on me, pinning me down, and forcing me into these chains. Just you wait, fellas... I've got a surprise your boss is_ _ **going**_ _to love..._

The heavy weight of the chains dug into her scales. Despite the discomfort, Alex followed her captors in silence. In the dimly lit hallways, a large pool of chlorinated water came into view. Countless other men hovered over the Zoran Aberrants swimming inside.

Whips cracked the air. The Zoran Aberrants cried out in agony, nursing their wounds in the water. Handlers in diving suits swam nearby, holding up large metal hoops. Nausea welled inside of Alex's stomach. At the sight of their sheer, sadistic cruelty, Alex found herself at a loss of words.

"Stupid useless Aberrants! You're less than animals, the lot of you! You will practice for the performance, or I will see that you do more than just starve..."

Alex froze in place. Her anger boiled. Even as her handlers pulled and tugged on her chains, she refused to budge another inch.

"Stop it..." As whips cracked against Zoran scales, she flew into a rage. The men around her moved to hold her down.

 **"STOP IT!"**

Every eye in the room fell on Alex, watching her struggle unfold. With every ounce of strength she could muster from her body, she tossed her captors across the room. Chains slipped around her. She grabbed onto the ends of her cuffs, and began whipping them through the air. The men fell to the ground, startled and surprised by her strength.

Freed from their grasp, Alex watched as a whip came down on one of the weakened Aberrants in the water. Just as it nearly lashed against its victim, she grabbed hold of the whip. She gritted her teeth, hollering at the man grasping its handle.

"I won't let you lay another hand on these people!"

From within the pool, the Zoran Aberrants, weakened from bloodloss and repeated whip lashings, looked up at Alex with shock and horror.

"No... don't do it..." They called out to her, "Please... they'll... kill you..."

Alex, driven by fury, grabbed the man's collar, and hoisted him closer to her face. As she grimaced at him, she narrowed his eyes him.

"If you're going to hurt anybody, pal... you're going to have to go through **_me_** first!"

"Help! Someone help! This Aberrant's out of control!"

Before Alex could get another word in, a painful surge raced up her back. Her body spasmed and jolted under the current of electricity. Unable to maintain her grip amid the pain, she dropped the man to the ground and screamed in agony.

She fell onto the ground. Alex looked up, and saw another figure standing over her, holding a stun baton. Their expressions shifted into angry, disgusted scowls. As she panted, she returned one of her own.

The doors to the area opened. Everyone turned to face Sandraedi as he entered the pool area. He looked down at her and snorted.

"Yuh ah de one causing trubble, gyal?"

He hoisted Alex up by her chains. He stared into her glossy black eyes.

"Mi see yuh 'ave ah rebellious streak inna yuh..." Sandraedi turned to the others.

"Leave. Mi wish to speak to har... alone."

"What about the Aberrants?"

Sandraedi glared at his employees. Not wanting to anger their boss, Alex's captors and handlers stepped out of the room. The Aberrants, with what little strength they had left, sank to the bottom of the pool, unable to remain afloat any longer.

As the doors to the pool slammed shut, Sandraedi pulled out a balisong knife from his hip. He brushed the blade of the knife along her cheek. Alex struggled in his grip.

"Mi see yuh a very spirited an rebellious, fish ooman. But yuh know... mi 'ave ways of brukin' yuh."

Alex let out a weak laugh.

"You know, mister... I hate bullies. Especially... fat and ugly ones... like you..."

Sandraedi sneered. "Mi ago bruk yuh, gyal... yuh won't be suh smart wid mi when I'm drough wid yuh, just yuh wait..."

Alex spat in his face. Sandraedi screamed in anger, and tossed her across the room. She skid across the ground, and collided into a wall. With speed she never thought possible in a person his size, Sandraedi raced over to her, he pinned her down and began beating her senseless.

Crumpling to the ground, Alex spat out one last painful laugh amid trembling, shaky gasps of air.

"...You think... you're a badass... because you can... threaten... and intimidate people? You... are **worse**... than... us... 'freaks'..." Alex lifted her finger, pointed, and laughed at Sandraedi. "Maybe... you think... you ... can... break my will... like you have... so many... others... You... are dead... wrong. You... can break... my body... but you... will never... break... my spirit... Mark... my words... you will... regret... the day... you **ever**... fished me... out... of that... **ocean**..."

With one final gasp, Alex collapsed onto the floor and lost consciousness. Sandraedi stood over her broken body, and wiped the spit off his face. He turned toward the door.

"Someone get inna here, an' clean up dis mess... **now**."

Off in the distance, the sound of a phone ringing echoed. Sandraedi stepped out of the training pool.

 _Who could be calling at this hour? We're closed. It better be important..._

* * *

 **May 19th, 2016 CE (82 Eldin, 1437 HCE Hyrulean Reckoning)**  
 **3:00 PM**

Crowds of people swarmed the aquarium in droves. For a week now, the aquarium remained packed, full of visitors eager to see the Zoran Aberrants, and the entertainment they provided. Every day, the same expressions greeted Alex: a mixture of curiosity, wonder, fear, and disgust at the very sight of them. Many came to see her, the non-hybrid that swam among Sandraedi's twisted collection.

Alex made every effort to make their visit as unpleasant as possible, from spooking customers with aggressive postures, to badly singing reggae songs, much to Sandraedi's ire. In all the tanks around her, the other Zoran Aberrants swam around, performing tricks for children and families. The visitors' children squealed in delight at the playful antics of the hybrids. Despite the scars and bruises on her body she endured from her "training", Alex peered back at them, scowling at the ignorant masses in disgust.

While the other Aberrants did as their cruel master commanded, Alex refused to budge from the back of her tank. She sat still, waiting for her next victim to walk by her tank. That victim took the form of a young boy, his little sister, and their parents. They wandered by her tank, in awe of her form.

"Wow, Mom, this one looks really cool!"

"Just like Zora Link!"

The parents peered back at Alex, noting her aggressive stare. Alex narrowed her glossy eyes at them, digging her fingers into her scales. Her anger at them grew more with each passing minute they walked near her tank.

"Come on, kids, let's go."

"What's wrong, honey?"

"That Aberrant... I don't like the way it's looking at us at all..."

Alex snorted.

 _That's right. You better fuck off, or else..._

Yet the children stared up at her, in awe of her appearance. Fascinated by her appearance, they walked closer, eager to get a better view. As the children waved and tapped on the glass, Alex darted toward them in the water.

"Boo!" She yelled.

The children screamed and jumped away. Startled and frightened by her demeanor, the brother and sister ran over to their parents. They looked up at them, eager for an explanation. As the parents lead them away toward the front counter, Alex smirked.

"That's right, you little shits! And don't come back!" Alex called out.

She held her chin in thought.

 _Any minute now, I should be getting my daily review. I hope it's worse than the one I got yesterday! Man, how can anybody hate Bob Marley so much? Isn't this where he was from, anyway?_

Her lips curled into a twisted smile.

 _Speaking of Bob Marley... I haven't irritated the owner enough today. I should really get on that! We're going to be closing soon, and I want to end the day with a bang. Ha ha, nothing makes me happier than getting under 'da owna of dis aquarium's skin..._

" I shot the sheriff~! "

Alex tapped a webbed foot against the ground, getting into the beat of the song as she remembered it. She clapped her hands together. One after another, the entire aquarium turned to look at her, giving her bewildered, disgusted looks.

" But I didn't shoot no deputy! Oh no! Oh~! "

The other Zoran Aberrants turned to look at her, flabbergasted by her behavior. Inside their tanks, Bill and Richard turned to look at one another.

"She's doing it again..." Richard whispered.

Bill shook his head. Despite his concerns for Alex's safety, a small smile formed on his face. He ignored the bruises, cuts, and lacerations that covered her bare back.

 _What are you doing, Alex? What are you hoping to accomplish here...?_ Bill thought.

"Her singing is as horrible as ever. So off-key..."

"Is she doing this on purpose?" Richard asked.

"Oh, you betcha."

"Is she stupid, Bill? She could get herself killed, acting out like this in front of Sandraedi's customers!"

Bill closed his eyes.

"Well... I suppose there's nothing else we can do at this point, except enjoy the show..."

" I shot the sheriff! But I didn't shoot no deputy! Ooh ooh oo-ooh! "

* * *

 **May 20, 2016 CE (83 Eldin, 1437 HCE Hyrulean Reckoning)**  
 **8:00 PM**

Screams filled the hallways. Alex looked outside her tank, aghast and wide-eyed. Groups of handlers swarmed a nearby Aberrant. He screamed and shouted at them in alien tongues. Fighting off his aggressors, the Aberrant reached out to Alex, staring at her as though she were another person.

Alex pounded on the walls of her tank. Electric currents hummed in the bars above. Sadness and anger whirled inside her. Imprisoned by walls of glass and metal, she could do nothing but watch the horror unfold before her eyes.

Every night, the scene would change, but the end result was always the same: Sandraedi, unsatisfied with their performance, would drag her fellow captives out of their tank, and into a dark place deep within the aquarium... where she would never see them again. Their screams of agony and torment, followed by deathly silence, gave away their fate. The next day, Sandraedi would show up, expose the latest tooth in his collection, and then bark orders at them ad nauseum, day in and day out.

Before her very eyes, that vicious cycle played out again. Richard cried out in horror as Bill became possessed like the countless others, lost to another mind and another will. His right eye glimmered with that horrible light. Disoriented, the entity within him cried out at the top of his lungs, uttering incomprehensible words and phrases. He dug his scaled fingertips onto the floor, fighting the strength of his captors as drug him away.

Alex gasped as his eyes met his. His voice, terrified and desperate, called out a familiar

"Link..." 'Bill' cried out, **"Link...!"**

"Bill!" Richard shouted, "Bill, snap out of it! Don't let that thing control you again, Bill!"

Alex pounded on the glass wall of her aquarium, screaming in anger and horror. Against her own desires, she found herself attached to her fellow Aberrant. The sight of him succumbing to his condition like the others, on top of Sandraedi's relentless depravity, send her over the edge.

 _No... not anymore! I'm not watching this insanity play out! Not with Bill, not ever again!_

"Let him go! **_Let him go, you bastards!_** "

She rammed her shoulder against the glass. Cracks formed on its surface. As she did so, she felt a tingling sensation in her left fingertips. The sensation spread down her fingers, and into her left hand. Numbness soon followed. Anger turned to fear.

 _This feeling... Tell me it isn't what I think it is..._

Fed up with Alex's behavior, a trainer in a black diving suit nodded toward his comrades. They drug Bill's body away, while the entity continued to cry out the name "Link". He furrowed his eyes at her in anger. The trainer broke into a brisk walk before rushing toward Alex's tank.

Unable to move her left hand, the sensation traveled up Alex's left arm. She bashed her right shoulder against the glass. Her heart raced, and panic tempered her furious thoughts. Alex glanced up at the figure approaching her tank.

 _Oh God, this can't be happening! Why now? I'm going to black out again... these people are going to kill me. Please, God, don't let me die!_

Although afraid for Bill, her sense of self-preservation drove her onward. She had to escape her tank. She had to get as far away from this place as possible, before she blacked out. She had to flee before these cruel men ended her life.

Paralysis spread across the left side of her body. Currents of electricity fell silent. With the familiar buzz of a button, the bars above her slide away. The trainer rushed into the water. He drug her out of the tank, and tossed her onto the floor.

Alex struggled against the ground, unable to move her arm. She tried to move her left leg to no avail. The world grew hazy around her. Her right side trembling, Alex let out a horrified scream.

The trainer grabbed her throat, and held her face close to his own. She struggled to breathe. Her right leg kicked his own, but Alex found herself unable to get away. His eyes bore into her own. A sneer formed on his lips.

"I have tolerated your mockery long enough, Aberrant. Now... I am going to silence your laughter once and for all."

Her focus waned. She gasped for air. Alex wrapped her right hand around the trainer's wrists weakly. As the world grew darker and darker, Alex felt warm tears stream down her scaled cheeks.

 _Help... some... body... help... me..._

Darkness consumed Alex's awareness. Light faded around her. Golden light erupted from the back of Alex's left hand. She looked down at her hand. Like a holy brand, the symbol of the Triforce illuminated the dark abyss, the lower right triangle glowing the brightest.

Before she could make sense of the mark, another golden light erupted in the distance. She looked up, and saw a wall of eerie white light—the same wall that swallowed her on that plane. A crystallized statue of a Zoran figure stood on the other side. Alex felt her hand freeze up, before her own body crystallized as well. As darkness consumed her awareness completely, she cried out in her mind...

* * *

 _Help... help..._

A woman's voice called out into the darkness, pleading and desperate. Link gasped and bolted awake. He found himself standing in mist, enshrouded by pulsing, eerie light. Disoriented, he darted his eyes to and fro, searching for the source of the voice.

 _Please... they're going to kill me... and the others... Please... someone... help... me..._

Warmth spread across the back of his left hand. He glanced down at the Triforce mark, shimmering gold among white. More and more, the woman's voice grew fainter and fainter.

 _Please... help..._

Although he did not know where the voice came from, or who it belonged to... he could not ignore her pleas. He closed his eyes, and placed his left hand against his chest, above his heart.

 _«I'm coming to help. Please, hold on...!»_

 _Help... me..._

The woman's voice faded away, and the misty landscape with it. Link became consumed by white...

* * *

Alex's eyes closed. Her entire body went limp in the trainer's grip. As he loosened his fingers around her neck, he sensed a change. The hairs on his back stood on end. He moved her face away from his own.

Mortified, he shook his head.

 _"Bass... why wi tolerate dat Aberrant?"_

"Yuh 'ave seen de gyal, 'ave yuh nah? Everyone fram aal ova de world wants to know 'bout de strange fish ooman. Killing har would draw too nuf eyes pon fi mi business..."

 _"But Bass, shi draws enough attention pon har own!"_

"Let mi mek dis clear to yuh: Ef notin' happens to de gyal... mi ago 'ave fi yuh head..."

Despite his realization, he could not let go of her. He hated the girl, and her repeated mockery of their business and culture. At that moment, the trainer did not care about Sandraedi's orders—he wanted to silence the girl once and for all. Another part of him, however, feared his boss' reprisal.

He wanted to stop. He wanted to let her go, and drop her onto the floor. His fingers refused to move, and refused to obey. Something froze him in place, and he did not know what.

Golden light shimmered across the back of her left hand. The trainer looked down and gasped. Like a holy brand, the symbol of three triangles appeared. The lower right triangle burned the brightest.

* * *

Link's eyes snapped open. His hands immediately rushed to the human hands wrapped around his neck. Unable to breathe, he summoned his strength and pried the hands away from his neck. Link shoved himself away, and watched the trainer stumble backwards.

He fell onto his hands and knees, gasping for air. In that moment, Link felt every eye in the room on him. He took in the astonished gazes of the Zoran Aberrants around him. Each of them fled to the walls of their tanks and called out to him.

"Link? Sir Link? Is that you?"

"Praise the Goddesses! You're alive!"

'Bill' frantically struggled against the grip of the guards. He cried out, his voice pleading and desperate.

"Please! Please Hero! They're going to kill us! You have to stop them! Don't let these Terran monsters hurt us anymore!"

More voices joined in unison. "Help us! Help us, please!"

Link did not respond to their calls. Regaining his breath, he took in the countless water tanks, all filed with captive Zoran Aberrants around him. He stood up onto his feet, and stared down the figure.

 _What_ _ **madness**_ _is this? What is going on here?_

His heart pounded in his chest. Adrenaline surged through his body. He narrowed his eyes at the Terran figure on the ground. The trainer looked up at him, speechless and horrified. Behind him, the guards turned their attention away from 'Bill', and onto Link.

For a brief moment, Link glanced over his shoulders at the guards towering over 'Bill'. The trainer summoned his courage.

"Help! One of the Aberrants has escaped!"

The guards rushed toward Link, stun batons crackling with electricity. Link rolled out of the way, watching as the guards rushed the trainer. Link raised his fins and held up his fists. He studied their every move, their every twitch, and eyed the weapons they carried—weapons humming with electricity.

 _So that's how... They must have figured out their weakness to electricity... I'll have to be careful, then..._

Link crossed his arms in front of him. His blade-like fins grew larger. The guards moved toward him. From the group, a figure lunged at him and swung his baton. Link swung his arms out, and sent his fins flying through the air. They knocked the baton out of the guard's hand, and sent it flying across the room.

From within his tank, Richard watched the scene unfold before his eyes. He stared at Link as he fought back the guards, slack-jawed and wide-eyed. Bones crunched. Screams and howls of agony followed. Within seconds of the brawl breaking out, several of the guards laid on the floor, broken and bleeding.

 _Alex...?_

Richard's thoughts turned toward Alex. He remembered the countless fights she endured from the guards. Although she proved to be a handful, she lacked skill. Even at her worst, the guards overpowered her with ease. Whatever fighting ability she possessed compared little to what Richard witnessed.

The consciousness that had taken hold of her... every attack, every movement the being within her made was calculated and deliberate. 'It' knew where to strike... and when. The fierce display left him terrified for the fate of all the captive Aberrants.

 _Oh god... Alex has become possessed, too... just like Bill... Sandraedi's going to murder us all, I know it!_

"Alex?" Richard called out, "Alex, wake up! Snap out of it! Please, not you, too..."

More guards flooded the room. Their anger turned to horror at the sight of the broken, unconscious bodies strewn around the troublesome Aberrant. Link looked up at them. He found himself staring into the barrel of a rifle.

 _I'm not falling for that again!_

The guards pulled a trigger. Tranquilizer darts brushed past Link's shoulder, barely missing his cranial fin. Link launched his fins into the air. The guard jumped back, avoiding the attack. His fins whirled back toward him, and they rejoined his forearms. He fired another dart at Link, who dodged in the other direction.

Sweat poured down the guard's face. Never had he seen an Aberrant fight like this before. Most cowered in fear at them. They complied and obeyed on pain of electric shock. This Aberrant, that had troubled them from the very beginning, challenged them in a way no other had.

Possessed by that unholy light, that Aberrant had become someone else. Before, she mocked them and embarrassed them in front of their boss, and their customers. She inconvenienced them in innumerable ways. Now, she had become a terror neither he, nor his comrades could ever hope to withstand.

His body shook. His arms trembled. The guard stared into Link's glowing left eye, and then down at the glowing mark of the Triforce on his gauntlet. Backed into a corner, he stumbled and fell.

"Obeah..." The guard shouted, his voice wavering. **"Obeah mon!"**

Terrified beyond measure, the guard ran away screaming. Link turned around, and surveyed the countless broken bodies left in his wake. Richard, too, clasped a hand over his mouth. The other Aberrants, eyes glimmering with that same light, gazed at him with hopeful expressions.

"Link..."

"It really is you! It really is the Hero!"

Link gazed up at them and smiled.

"It's alright now... I'm here. You won't ever have to fear these Terrans again, I promise."

Richard's body trembled. He could not understand any of the words they spoke. Placing scaled hands on the glass window of his tank, he stared at Link, not in reverence, but in horror.

Sensing his stare, Link turned around and faced Richard. Richard jumped back, alarmed. Link walked toward Richard's tank, and raised his eyebrow. Now more than ever, Richard found himself staring into the face of a woman possessed.

"Alex?" Richard uttered, "Alex... wake up... please, wake up..."

Link shook his head. Although he could not understand Richard's words, he found himself concerned by the lack of the light within Richard's eyes. The way he stared at him, the way he talked that strange language... it troubled him. As Richard continued to beg and plead incomprehensible words to him, one stood out among the others, one that he kept repeating over and over and over again—'Alex'.

 _What... is this 'Alex'? Why does he keeping saying that to me? I don't understand..._

Before Richard could do anything else, the figure of Sandraedi marched into the room. A gas mask covered his face. He tossed a canister into the room. Within seconds, gas flooded the warehouse. Link covered his mouth with his arm and coughed.

 _Gas?!_

He struggled to breathe. Lightheadedness washed over him. In moments, Link collapsed onto the ground. The world swam, just as it did the day the fishermen found him. Terrans wearing mask stood over him.

 _No... not... again..._

Sandraedi turned toward the others, content that his main attraction could no longer ravage his guards. He pointed toward the mess of unconscious bodies around him.

"Yuh dere! Clean up 'dis mess... **now**."

* * *

 **May 23, 2016 CE (86 Eldin, 1437 HCE Hyrulean Reckoning)**  
 **9:00 PM**

Palmgate stepped into the warehouse. Sandraedi walked beside him, as did a pair of guards. Taking in the salty air of the aquarium, Palmgate glanced at the Zoran Aberrants in Sandraedi's collection. He curled his lips into a small, bemused smile.

"Thank you for allowing me to visit your aquarium on such short notice," He said, "I must admit, your collection of Aberrants is quite impressive. You must run quite the attraction for your guests."

Sandraedi snorted. "Yuh wish to see de gyal, nuh?"

Palmgate held his hand up in surrender. "All in good time, friend."

For weeks, Palmgate had reached out to Sandraedi. Every time he heard back, the man had refused his offer to purchase the strange Aberrant. Palmgate, however, refused to accept no for an answer. He continued to call the aquarium in hopes of getting Sandraedi to negotiate an asking price. Sandraedi did not want to entertain his offer to sell the strange Aberrant in his collection... until now.

 _Something must have happened. The number of guards... is surprising low, for such an establishment._

"If you don't mind, Mr. Sandraedi, I'm quite curious: Why do you have so few guards monitoring the premises? Surely, if the Aberrants are your form of income, you must care if they were to... slip away unnoticed."

Sandraedi snorted. "Mi did 'ave guards. Dey quit... Aal sake 'ah dat demon. Drove dem off. Now nobody but mi approaches de demon gyal."

"You are referring to the girl's aberrated state, yes? The shift can be quite alarming to those not equipped to deal with it. I'm glad you contacted me when you did, Mr. Sandraedi."

The two of them said nothing. Sandraedi led him further back into the warehouse. In the far corner, away from the others, Link floated within the tank, chained to a wall. He did not bother lifting his head up to look at the men approaching the tank.

Palmgate narrowed his eyes at Link. He studied the sleek, Zoran form, noting the lack of more human characteristics in his shape.

 _So this is his 'troublemaker'. Complete lack of hybridization... how... peculiar. And this creature overpowered every one of this man's guards? Truly, this fool does not know what he's found._

"So, it's settled then? You will sell me this Aberrant?"

Sandraedi snorted once again. He crossed his arms, and looked at Link with disgust.

"Tek har. Shi has been noting but trubble since mi found har. Tek har and guh."

Palmgate smiled. "You will not regret this decision, Mr. Sandraedi. I will take very good care of her... I promise."

Sandraedi said nothing as he stepped out of the room. Link narrowed his eyes at Palmgate, wary of him. He did not like the way he looked at him, as though staring at a specimen and not a person. Palmgate curled his lips into a smile.

 _Soon, Aberrant... I will know the truth about you. We will see just what you truly are in due time. I can already tell that you are quite different from the other Zoran Aberrants. For you to overpower this buffoon's men... you are strong. Quite strong indeed. Perhaps even strong enough to be one of the High Ones..._

He locked eyes with Link, who gazed back at him with disgust.

"You are mine, now... Aberrant."


	20. Transfer of Ownership

**Soulbound**

Chapter XII, Part III - Link/Ganondorf: Transfer of Ownership

 **Kingston, Jamaica — Sandraedi's Aquarium of Exotic Wonders  
June 1, 2016 CE (3 Ordona, 1437 HCE Hyrulean Reckoning)  
10:00 PM, UTC-5:00**

 _Link struggled against the chains bound to his wrists and ankles. Sandraedi and his regular staff had long since vanished for the day, leaving only a handful of guards monitoring the premises. His tank stood in the furthest reaches of the warehouse, far from the other Zoran Aberrants kept in Sandraedi's collection. Few guards dared to approach his tank without Sandraedi present, and for good reason._

 _News came to him slowly. The Terrans did everything they could to keep him isolated from the other Aberrants. Their reverent reactions toward him made them wary. Yet the Terrans underestimated Link and his people. As less and less guards patrolled the warehouse and the aquarium, the Zoran Aberrants still found their way to him, and kept him apprised of everything going on._

 _Under the cover of darkness, a woman slunk through the rows of tanks, holding the slumbering forms of her people. Her right eye, gleaming with an eerie light, peered across the electrified bars and glass. Her webbed feet smushed against the hard concrete floor. The Aberrant looked around, wary for anything or anyone that could interfere with her mission. Content that the Terrans' 'eyes' were not watching, she wove her way toward the water tank housing Link's form._

 _"Link..." She whispered._

 _Link opened his eyes, and looked at the Zoran Aberrant's scaled face. He nodded his head at her silently, signalling for her to approach. The Aberrant wasted no time. She crawled along the ground, and slunk before the base of his tank._

 _"Hello, Cora. Has anything new happened?" Link asked._

 _Cora peered back at him, her expression grim._

 _"Sir Link... I... I'm sorry for disturbing you, but I bring terrible news..."_

 _Her voice rose nary beyond a whisper. Link approached her as far as the chains would allow him._

 _"What is it, Cora?"_

 _"Sandraedi—the horrible Terran who has imprisoned us—has struck a deal with someone. He plans to sell you... as property. He's sending you somewhere far away from here..."_

 _Link closed his eyes. He remembered that man in the suit who visited him nearly a week ago. Although he could not understand anything either of them said, he remembered Sandraedi's look of disgust, and his companion's interest in him. Unlike Sandraedi and the other Terrans he had encountered this far, that man's vile gaze expressed not fear and apprehension, but of fascination. That Terran's presence made his skin crawl._

Who was that Terran? What did he want with me?

 _"Sir Link..."_

 _Tears welled up in Cora's eyes. They fell down her scaled cheeks. Her head fin swayed behind her. She could do little to contain her sadness._

 _"I don't want you to go... please don't go... Sandraedi will kill us if you leave!"_

 _Forcing himself away from his thoughts, Link turned his attention back to Cora. Her face shifted to one of fear. Sensing Cora's distress, Link let out a soft smile at her._

 _"Cora, look at me." Cora looked up at Link as he spoke. "I know things seem really hopeless right now. No matter what happens—to me, or to anyone else—you must never give up hope. I will find a way out of this, and come back for you all. I promise."_

 _Cora nodded, unable to speak any further. Link closed his eyes._

 _"Everything will be fine, Cora. We'll meet again, I'm certain of it..." Link looked around. "The guards will be making their rounds again soon. You better get back, Cora..."_

 _The Zoran Aberrant gave him one last sad glance before turning back the way she came. As she slunk away from Link's tank, he whispered to her, louder and urgent._

 _"Cora... thank you... for everything."_

* * *

 **Norman Manley International Airport  
June 5, 2016 CE (7 Ordona, 1437 HCE Hyrulean Reckoning)  
10:00 AM, UTC-5:00**

Deary clouds blanketed the airport. Several armed guards, wearing black clothes, followed alongside a group of men and women as they pushed a specialized tank of water across the tarmac. Link floated inside the tank, bound and sedated. His chains clanked against the glass and metal walls of the tank as it inched closer to the cargo jet.

Everyone present looked at him with disgust and contempt—everyone except Palmgate.

Palmgate watched the loading of his precious cargo from afar. He narrowed his eyes as the tank of water made its way up the ramp. A loud thump filled the air, giving him pause.

"You had best be careful...," Palmgate called out, "I paid good money for that Aberrant, and I would be most _unhappy_ if any harm were to come to my _investment_..."

More and more people ran toward the tank. Before long, half a dozen faces pushed behind the tank, moving it further and further into plane. With one final clang, the tank made its way off the ramp, and into the cargo hold. The people wiped the sweat from their brows, and pushed the tank into the far rear area, near a set of tubes and cables. Palmgate furrowed his brow, growing more and more impatient with the proceedings.

All of them gathered the tubing, and connected various clamps, hoses, and devices to Link's holding tank. Tightly secured in the back of the plane, each of them stepped out of the jet. Dark eyes peered into Palmgate's own.

"It is done," A man said, "The Aberrant is secured. We are ready to leave whenever you are, Dr. Palmgate."

Palmgate snorted with indifference. "Good..."

Palmgate walked toward the plane. He flipped out his cell phone, and hit the speed dial.

"Is everything ready, Carmine?" He asked.

"The final preparations for the Aberrant's holding enclosure are being completed as we speak, Dr. Palmgate."

"I will return to the facility within two hours. You have until then to make sure the enclosure is ready. I will tolerate no further delays."

"Of course. Will that be everything?"

"Yes, Carmine. That will be all."

Without another word, Palmgate ended the call. He walked toward the stairway, and made his way toward the passenger compartment of the jet. The door to the jet closed behind him. As he buckled himself in for the ride back home, turbines roared to life.

The jet took off the runway, and flew off into the skies.

* * *

 _Ethereal mist surrounded Link in every direction. He looked around, in search of anything or anyone. When he found nothing, he stepped forward, the clicking of his boots against stone echoing all around him. He glanced down at his body, only to find himself restored to his original form._

What the...?

 _The sound of sploshing footsteps, like webbed fins, filled the air. Link narrowed his eyes. He peered through the fog again._

 _"Hello?"_

 _Silence hung in the air. The hairs on the nape of his neck stood on end. He sensed a presence, both strange and familiar, lurking in the fog. Link walked forward, cautious and wary._

 _A voice, like that of a Zora, groaned. Link reached for the handle of the Master Sword. Something about that voice and the way it spoke spurred an eerie sense of recognition._

Have I heard this voice somewhere before? Why do I feel like I know this... presence?

 _The voice rang out once again. He did not recognize the words the voice uttered. It spoke in ancient, archaic tongues long forgotten in Hyrule and elsewhere. Somewhere deep inside him, familiarity bloomed. Amid the words lost to the ages, a name made itself known to him._

 _"Lulu..."_

 _Link felt a scaled hand grab his shoulder. Before he could draw his sword, the presence whirled him around. There, he stood face to face with a tall, Zoran figure. Colorful tribal tattoos covered his entire right arm. A yellow sash, lined with bone, hung from his hips, leaving the rest of his body exposed. Only a striped armband wrapped itself around his left wrist._

 _Behind the thick, black nictating membrane all Zora possessed, slitted gold eyes peered back at him, filled with anger and worry. He grasped Link by his shoulders, and lifted him in the air._

 _A name, lost to the mists of time and spirit, entered Link's thoughts._

Mikau...

 _For a brief moment, Link found himself peering not through the eyes of a young man, but a small child. Flashes of memory invaded his consciousness: of riding a small filly on horseback, of a dismal, decaying shore suffering under a powerful curse... and of this Zora, begging and pleading to him while waiting for the breath of life to finally leave him..._

What...? What... is this?!

"Where is she?! Where is Lulu?!"

 _Link gritted his teeth. Sensations both familiar and alien washed over him. He found himself torn between two lives: the one he lived in the present, and that of a young boy living in the ancient past, a young boy in a race against time..._

"You promised, little guy! You promised me that you'd save her and our eggs!"

 _"I don't... understand...," Link responded, "I'm not... I'm not who you think... I am. There has... been a mistake!"_

 _Growing more angry and hurt with every passing moment, Mikau tossed Link aside. Link pushed himself onto his feet and drew the Master Sword. His head swam, overrun with memories not his own. Mikau approached him, his fins bared._

"Give it back... give me back the life you stole from me!"

 _Mikau approached Link. Small wisps of eerie flame danced around his body. His form grew more and more translucent. Link's eyes widened as the void became consumed by white..._

* * *

Link's eyes snapped open. He bolted forward, startled by the nightmare. Fluttering in overdrive, his gills drew in oxygen from the water around him. He pushed the images of the dream out of hid mind, and looked around. All around him, the sound of jet engines filled the air. His mind flashed back to the moment of his arrival in this world.

 _Where am I? Am I... Am I back on another one of those "things" again?_

The word for the Terran machinery escaped him, as had countless others. Several cables and chains secured his tank to the rear wall. Dim lightbulbs flickered on and off, shaking with the plane's turbulence as it flew through the air.

He swam toward the top of his tank. There, he saw thick rivets drilled into the metal, sealing the tank shut. A sigh escaped Link's lips. Bubbles floated around him as he sank to the floor.

 _From one prison to another... just my luck. I can only hope that where ever these Terrans are taking me, Zelda is there..._

Link turned his thoughts to the princess. He missed her smile, the way the breeze played with the long strands of her golden hair. Hope filled his heart.

 _The others said Zelda was on some distant continent... some placed called "North America". The Terran who came to purchase me was from there. They said he was a researcher, seeking to expel us from the Terran souls the Convergence bound each of us to. Yet the way he looked at me, like I was an object to be used... something tells me he is not interested in 'healing' anyone at all. That evil stare was too much like Ganondorf's not to be a coincidence..._

He shook his head.

 _Still... if that is where I am being taken... then there's still a chance! She's out there somewhere, I know it. Even in a place like this, she'd never give into the Terrans. I don't know how long she can hold out..._

Link lifted his head up. He looked at the ceiling. Warmth spread across the back of his left hand. For a brief moment, he closed his eyes.

 _I'm coming Zelda. Just hang on a little bit longer..._

He felt his body tumble backwards. Link's body slammed against the back wall of his water tank. Several loud rumblings shook the entire plane, and the tank with it. Just as suddenly as the episode began, it ended. The jet engines grew silent, while tires skidded against pavement. Link sensed the plane come to a complete stop.

 _Wha...?_

Confused, Link rushed toward the front-facing wall of his tank. He placed scaled hands along its lukewarm surface. The bay doors of the cargo hold opened. Link backed away and shielded his eyes from the blinding light.

Silhouettes of Terrans came into view. Link held his hands up in surrender. He watched as they undid the chains, cables, and tubing that secured him to the wall. One in particular stood out to him: a woman in a white lab coat. Through the rims of her glasses, she gazed back at him with remorse.

From out of her coat, she pulled out a glass syringe. Liquid filled the inside. The others removed the rivets locking the lid on Link's tank in place. The metal slid up off the walls of the tank. As Link looked on, she watched as the woman loaded the contents of the syringe into a dart, which she loaded into a small pistol.

Terran words left the woman's mouth. The others pulled Link's body out of the water. Before he could do anything else, the woman fired the dart. It pierced his scales and embedded itself into his shoulder. Within moments, Link felt the world spin in vertigo around him. He sank into the water and lost consciousness.

* * *

 **Palmaris Medical Research — Miami-Dade Branch  
2:00 PM, Eastern Standard Time**

Camera flashes filled the street. Palmgate sat in his limousine, taking in the view. He kept the tinted windows around him closed, not wanting to bother with the media blitz just outside. Narrowing his eyes, he focused his attention on the front steps of the tall skyscraper before him. Among the crowd of people going in and out of the building, he found his person of interest.

Short brown hair swayed in the tropical breeze. A white dress shirt covered his torso, while a pair of gray dress pants hung from a belt secured across his waste. Brown eyes, belonging to a young man, met his own through the window, full of resignation. A coy smile of satisfaction formed on his lips.

 _Punctual as always... I have taught you well, stepson..._

Security guards stood on either side of the limousine as it came to a stop. They approached the mob of news reporters, urging them to leave the premises. Palmgate stepped out of the vehicle, willfully ignorant of the chaotic scene developing behind him. He walked up to the young man.

"Darren... so good of you to make it," Palmgate said, "I trust you had no issues making it here?"

Darren narrowed his eyes at Palmgate. He could barely contain his vehement disgust toward the man. Toying with the small locket hanging from his neck, Darren let out an rueful sigh.

"What do you want, Arthur?"

Palmgate pursed his lips. "I see my wife has done little to teach you any manners. No matter. That will be addressed in due time..."

He walked toward the revolving glass doors, and motioned for Darren to follow.

"Come, we have much to discuss."

Darren followed behind him. He did everything he could to avoid Palmgate's piercing gaze. Feeling his anger rising to the surface, he wrapped his fingers around the locket. Countless emotions welled inside him, drowning out the anger he carried for his stepfather.

A woman's laughter echoed in his memory. He closed his eyes, and remembered his best friend, the one person he cared about more than anything. The way her coppery locks shimmered in the sunlight, the glimmer of mischief always in her eye, her coy smile... he missed these things more than anything. At the heel of that memory came a painful ache in his heart.

 _Alex..._

"Still mourning over that troublesome girl, are you?" Palmgate said, " ** _Pathetic._** "

 _What the hell would you know?! You never knew her the way I did!_ Darren thought.

Now more than ever, Darren wanted to get out of Palmgate's presence, perturbed by his cold, callous attitude. He remembered how much Palmgate hated Alex, and the blaze of mischief she left in her wake. For as long as Darren could remember, he had done his best to shield her from much of Palmgate's fury, as did his mother, Darcy.

"Alex Donovan was a terrible influence on you. Perhaps now that you no longer have any... _distractions_... you will finally become the heir Palmaris _needs_."

"So is that why you drug me all the way from Oregon? To lecture me on how to run your godforsaken empire?"

The elevator came to a stop. Palmgate and Darren stepped off the elevator. They wove their way through the crowd of scientists and office workers. A thick metal door, lined with black and yellow stripes, stood before them. On the right side of the door, a glowing blue touch screen, showing the image of a hand, flickered to life. Another panel slid open, revealing a scanner.

Palmgate placed his hand on the touch screen, and stared into the scanner. A pinprick of red light glimmered from the side of the scanner. After several tense moments, the light turned green.

"Access granted," A monotone, feminine voice stated.

The door slid open. Palmgate glanced over his shoulder at Darren as he stepped through the doorway. Darren followed suit, not wanting to further the tension between him and stepfather. For several minutes, the two of them made their way through a long hallway. Darren peered through the large glass window panels to his left, admiring the Miami city skyline outside.

 _As beautiful as this place is, it'll never be home to me..._

Palmgate stopped before another set of bay doors. Large, piston-like bolts thrusted out of thick metal with a steamy hiss. The doors flew open, revealing a labrynthine set of hallways. Maddened howls echoed all around them. Through what few doors remained ajars, he spotted the sight of Aberrants undergoing experimentation.

Nausea welled up inside of Darren. The very sight of those monsters unnerved him. Although Palmgate had forced him to work with Aberrants before, never before had his stepfather brought him to a place like this. From the rock-like Goron Aberrants, to the aquatic Zoran Aberrants, to mysterious Hylian Aberrants and everything in between, scientists worked around the clock to study the creatures, and better understand their condition.

Darren knew better; Palmgate wanted something from these grotesqueries. What it was, he could not ascertain. He found it harder and harder to watch them, torn between lucidity and madness, crying out in tongues both familiar and alien. Peering away, his thoughts turned toward his late friend.

 _If Alex saw what was going on... I don't know how she'd react. Maybe... it's better that she died in that plane crash... than live through this insanity..._

He did his best to hide his discomfort as Palmgate stopped in front a thick sliding metal door. Palmgate pushed a button. As the door slid into the wall, he held out his hand in offering.

"After you... _Darren._ "

Wordlessly, Darren entered the chamber. Smooth grey tiles lined much of the floor. At the far end of the room, a large aquarium-sized tank of water lined the wall, glowing with small blue lights along the walls and floors. Behind the scientists that ran around with clipboards and maintenance technicians hard at work, he came face-to-face with the strangest Zoran Aberrant he had ever laid eyes on.

The creature floated in the tank, listless and inert. A sleek, dolphin-like fin dangled from the back of its head, mottled with green spots. A thick brown choker, fitted with a blue sapphire, clung to its neck. Beyond the shimmering silver-blue scales that covered every inch of the Aberrant's body, two pairs of fins floated on either side of his face, speckled gold like strands of hair.

 _What the...?_

Not believing his eyes, he darted toward the tank, in shock and awe of the unconscious Aberrant's form. Thick gauntlets covered the Aberrant's wrists and forearms, while leaving much of his muscular form exposed. Thick, blade-like fins jetted out from his forearms, floating aimlessly on either side of him. Unlike other Aberrants of its kind, thick leather boots clothed the webbed feet within.

Yet something seemed... off about the creature. Despite the musculature the Aberrant possessed, his breasts appeared too round, too small, too... feminine.

 _Why... why does this_ thing _look so much like Zora Link...? What in God's name did you find in Jamaica, Arthur?_

"Intriguing, is she not?" Palmgate asked.

Darren gasped, taken aback by Palmgate's question. He turned around, unable to conceal the shock on his face. Palmgate brushed aside a strand of his slick black hair, and approached the tank.

"This Aberrant is different for any other we have found. She possesses few human traits, a marked difference from others of her kind; for all any of us know, she may not be any kind of hybrid at all. When I heard stories of a strange Aberrant discovered out in the Caribbean, I went to investigate the matter. After negotiating a fair price from her former owner, I have brought her here to be studied."

Shaking his head, he turned his head toward the slumbering Aberrant, back at Palmgate, and then back at the Aberrant.

"That thing's... _a girl_?"

Palmgate did not bother to answer his question. Instead, he stepped forward. He turned to the other scientists, and motioned for them to leave. Within moments, Palmgate and Darren stood alone in the room while the Aberrant floated in the tank.

"You are to assist me in studying this creature. I have brought one of my best researchers into this project to assist you. Make no mistake—I want this girl kept alive at all costs, Darren."

Darren's eyes widened.

"You sick bastard..." Darren's fist shook in anger as he spoke. "All you ever do is hurt people! Arthur, whatever twisted thing you're planning, I want nothing to do with it! Haven't you caused enough suffering to these creatures?!"

Palmgate chuckled and shook his head. He pulled out his phone, and held the screen in front of Darren's face. On it, a picture of a woman with curly brown hair, bound and gagged, appeared on the screen. Cloaked men, armed with rifles, surrounded her on all sides. She screamed into the duct tape plastered across her lips.

"Darren, my stepson... I'm afraid you are in no position to _negotiate_." Palmgate wagged his finger at him. "You wouldn't want anything to happen to your mother... would you?"

At the heel of those words, Darren flew into a rage. He flew a punch at Palmgate. Palmgate grabbed his arm, and twisted it. Darren howled in pain. Palmgate held his face close to his own, while Darren struggled under his grip.

"You will study that Aberrant, and report your findings to me directly. Remember, if you fail in this task, stepson... you will pay dearly."

"Let her go! Let my mother go! She's done nothing to you!"

"All in due time..."

He dropped Darren onto the ground. Darren crumpled to the floor, struggling to catch his breath. Palmgate turned away from him, and pulled out his cell phone.

"Carmine, send Dr. Phillips into Aberrant Enclosure A72."

"Right away, sir."


	21. Her Ghost in the Water

**Soulbound**

Chapter XIII - Link: Her Ghost in the Water

 _Screams echoed in every direction. Alex jumped at the noise, which seemed to come from every direction. Narrowing her eyes, she peered into the thick fog all around her. Despite all her searching, she found not a single soul in the fog._

What the hell is this?

 _Chills ran down her spine, sending shudders all across her body. Her heart raced. The rational part of Alex wanted to flee the area, to put as much distance from this eerie place as possible. She clenched her fist and shoved those fearful thoughts into the back of her mind._

 _Pausing for a moment, Alex listened on, hoping to find answers. Men, women, and other creatures alike howled in a chorus of agony. As Alex listened on, she felt a strange warmth permeate the back of her left hand. Before she could react, more visions assaulted her mind._

 _The ruined insides of a forested temple greeted her eyes. Black fog enveloped the entire area. Instead of the myriad cries reaching her ears, only a pair echoed around her. At the center of a raised dais, surrounded by a sac-like blob of black and red ooze, the humanoid visage of a little girl manifested._

 _Words Alex could not understand tore through the black mist, desperate and pleading. Flashing images pierced Alex's awareness. She saw a young girl with pointed ears lying alone in a wooded cabin, her skin shifting between flesh and bark. Her eyes gleamed with an eerie light._

 _"Help... Help... me..."_

 _Alex clutched her head in pain, her awareness pulled in multiple directions at once._

Argh...!

 _The warmth on her hand intensified. The voices of the two girls howled in unison. In her mind's eye, she saw a tether of light bonding the girls together. Their thoughts rammed into one another in complete chaos._

I... I can't...

 _A chuckle of smug satisfaction tore through the pain and suffering. Alex's mind returned to the mist-covered chamber. From out of the shadows, the small figure of Cole in green from before stepped into view. He peered at his handiwork in approval._

 _More alien words drifted from his tongue. Goosebumps ran down Alex's arms and legs, while her stomach turned in knots. Although she could not understand anything the figure said, she sensed his malice._

 _Greenery faded from the woodlands and tree branches invading the temple. Leaves fell onto the ground, crumpling to dust. Branches turned a sickly gray hue, withering into lifelessness. The green figure howled with laughter as thousands of glowing, slitted eyes peered all around the black mist._

 _The fog swallowed Alex, filling her nostrils with the scent of death and decay. She covered her mouth, desperate to pull herself away from the rancid air. Coughs escaped Alex's lips. The warmth turned to a burning sensation. As she struggled to breathe, she caught a glimpse of her left hand._

 _Shimmering with holy radiance in the black mist, the mark of the Triforce banished the darkness, bathing her hand in golden light. The lower right triangle burned the brightest, while the lower left and top triangles remained dull. Her eyes widened at the sight of the mark._

Wha...!

 _Countless images assaulted her mind: of a burning figure suspended in that same fluid, and a Goron Aberrant howling in agony while the pale figure of Ghirahim laughed haughtily into darkness. A blue, watery orb, encased in that vile substance, and a Zoran Aberrant crying out into the depths of her mind while the shadowy figure of Zant descended in Twilight. A lone priest—Agahnim himself— surrounding a shadowy orb in a forgotten torture chamber while an older, Sheikah Aberrant woman whispered in mad tongues, unable to find herself. The witches Twinrova, cackling with glee as an orange light became encased by that ooze, while a Gerudo Aberrant lashed out in madness, torn between her Terran and Hyrulean selves. Finally, a group of Sheikah Aberrants ransacking an ancient, decrepit castle, in search of something... or someone._

«Alexandra...»

 _Alex's eyes widened, chilled and horrified by the countless visions assaulting her consciousness. From beyond the darkness, a golden light appeared before her in the black abyss, tearing her away from the psychic screams. She held up her left hand, and squinted her eyes at the brilliant display._

«Alexandra... Leslie... Donovan...»

 _Her body froze at the sound of the regal woman's voice echoing in her thoughts. Only one person ever dared call her by her full name, and this person wasn't her grandfather. Disturbed that the voice somehow knew her name, she stepped forward. Before, that same voice called out for Link's name—a name she had grown to hate. Now hearing the woman's voice call out for her as well, Alex looked toward the light, her expression in utter disbelief._

Don't tell me... I'm being telepathically contacted by Link's Girlfriend...

 _«Hear me, Determined One! You are in grave danger! The agents of Ganon have found you!»_

 _Alex pursed her lips, perturbed by Zelda's telepathic pleas. She shook her head._

...Look, can we go just back to all the various Zelda villians gloating about doing something totally evil to the Sages? Something about sharing the pain of a bunch I've never met really makes me feel like I'm part of a huge earth-shattering problem, you know? It's much more entertaining than the thought of Link's Girlfriend trying to talk to me, because her knowing my full name like that is so goddamn creepy on so many levels. I'm not even sure I want to know what's up with that at this point...

«You must free yourself... before it's too late! The fate of our worlds rests with you and the Hero! Hear me, Alexandra!»

 _Zelda's voice echoed all around her, growing more and more desperate as time passed. Alex froze in place, lost in a sea of ambivalence. She did not know what to think, or what to feel. The light grew brighter and brighter. Alex squinted her eyes._

 _Darkness gave way to shimmering gold. The ground gave way beneath Alex. She fell headlong into the triangular lights below, screaming at the top of her lungs._

«Please... hear me...»

* * *

 **Florida, United States — Palmaris Medical Research, Miami-Dade Branch, Enclosure A72**  
 **June 9th, 2016 CE (11 Ordona, 1437 HCE Hyrulean Reckoning)**  
 **7:42AM, Eastern Standard Time**

Alex bolted forward. Her heart pounded inside her chest. Fluttering into overdrive, her gills drew in precious oxygen from the water around her. It took her several moments for her to catch her breath, the images from her nightmare lingering in her mind.

 _What in the actual fuck was that?_

She buried her face in her hands. Every inch of her body shook in the water. Warmth continued to permeate the back of her left hand. Alex pulled her hands away from her face, and slowly turned her left hand over.

The mark of the Triforce shimmered on the back of her gauntlet, just as it had in the dream. Alex's blood ran cold at the sight of the mark. All at once, Zelda's voice and Jabu-Jabu's dying words haunted her thoughts.

 _He lives... the Hero lives... He lives... in you..._

 _The fate of our worlds rests with you and the Hero!_

 _Your shape... it is the product of magic. Yes, I sense it... a mask conceals your true nature. Remove that mask, and you will regain your true form..._

Alex swallowed hard. Before her very eyes, she watched as the Triforce mark melted into the leather gauntlet, its holy light vanishing without a trace. She could not stop shaking, nor could she look away from her hand.

 _No... Oh God no...,_ Alex thought, _This can't be happening! My luck can't be this rotten!_

 _«Hear me... Alexandra... I am a prisoner of the United States Armed Forces. My name is Zelda. I am being held captive in a facility somewhere in a place your people call "New York". As we speak, the Demon King is laying waste to this world in search of the Triforce. You must escape! You must protect the Triforce of Courage! We cannot allow Wisdom or Courage to fall into his hands...»_

Alex bolted upright at Zelda's voice echoing in her thoughts, as it had done countless times before in her dreams. Her eyes darted around the strange, unfamiliar tank, in search of the one responsible. Only the dim, blinking light of a security camera off in a corner greeted her eyes. Squeezing her eyes and membranes shut, she scooted toward the far wall.

 _What's next? Am I going to wake up in bed or something? Will Grandpa come up to me and tell me to go back to the kitchen while he goes off to the castle to fight off Agahnim or something? ...Oh, what the fuck am I saying? Grandpa knows better than to tell me to go back to the kitchen!_

Drawing in oxygen from her gills, she tried to calm herself.

 _«Hurry... Before the Demon King finds you...»_

Zelda's voice faded into silence. Alex blinked.

 _...Alrighty, then. I think I'm just going to pretend none of this happened, and move on with my life now._

Bright lights flickered on all around Alex, and she cried out in shock and surprise. Her heart raced inside her chest. Alex squinted her eyes in the water, and shielded her face with her arms and fins. As her vision adjusted to the light, Alex lowered her arms and looked around.

Thick white walls surrounded the room beyond. Gray, marble tiles stretched out across most of the room. All along the front of her tank, thick metal grating rested over exposed pipes and drains full of water. Metal doors, guarded on either by panels and buttons, secured the only exit across from her. Off into the far right corner, she spotted the familiar blinking red light of a security camera, watching her every movement.

Alex turned her attention to the thick, glass walls of her tank. Floating away from the wall, she turned around and gasped. Decorating the metallic surface, jagged lines surrounded a pair of stylized wings—part of a caduceus symbol. Above the head of the staff, the words "Palmaris" stood out against the wall, while "Medical Research" covered the area below the staff.

On seeing those words, Alex clasped her mouth to suppress the scream that wanted to escape her lips.

 _No..._

* * *

 **Oregon, United States — Starbucks Coffee, Clackamas Town Center Mall  
January 7, 2014 CE  
9:00 AM, Pacific Standard Time**

 _Alex stepped through the entrance. All throughout the small coffee shop, baristas and cashiers, in familiar black shirts and green aprons, attended the counter, while countless strangers discussed everything from plans and aspirations to the weather. She looked around the shop, her eyes searching for a familiar face. When she looked toward the back of the coffee shop, she found the what she came there for that morning..._

 _Darren fidgeted on a small stool, looking nervous and uncomfortable in the cold sunlight shining through a nearby window. He drummed his fingers against the table. In front of him rested a small white place, with a half-eaten cinnamon roll on it. Beside that plate sat a white coffee mug, emblazoned with the familiar siren logo of Starbucks._

He's barely touched his coffee. Something's definitely up, he never leaves a cup of coffee sitting there like that..., _Alex thought._

 _Gripping the strap of her backpack, she wove through the crowd of people in the shop, and made her way toward the bar Darren sat at. She slammed her backpack down on the table. Darren nearly jumped off his stool. He looked into her mischievous green eyes, startled by her sudden presence. Wiping away the strands of coppery hair from her face, she gazed back at him with a smirk._

 _"Hello, handsome. Am I interrupting your brooding again?"_

 _Darren shook his head._

 _"Hey, Al. Good to see you!" Darren began, "Staying out of trouble, I hope?"_

Alex raised her eyebrow at him.

 _"I'm passing all of my classes. Straight As all around. If everything goes well, I'll obtain my GED in another year or so. Oh, and if you must know, I've kept most of my sass to myself. Grandpa'll kill me if I botch this..."_

 _"To be fair, you did get expelled from Lake Oswego High. I kept telling you that you should've left Susie Beckett alone..._

 _"Eh, that place was drama central anymore. He just wants to see you get your life back on track after all the trouble that went on..."_

 _"Yeah, yeah..." Alex rolled her eyes, uninterested in being lectured any further. She looked around, feeling pangs of hunger in her stomach. Turning toward Darren once more, she held up her right index finger in interruption._

 _"Hold that thought for a moment. I'll be right back..."_

 _Alex pushed herself off the stool, and made her way toward the front counter. Moments later, she walked back to where Darren sat, with several slices of banana bread and a cinnamon roll in hand. She placed the plates on the counter, and took her seat beside him once more. Alex placed the plate of banana bread between them, and scarfed down her roll._

 _"Ah, much better. Any longer, and I would've started getting hangry, and you know how I get when I'm hangry."_

 _Darren nodded his head. "Oooooh yeah."_

 _"So, broody-pants, you called me here for a reason. What is going on? What is happening in the world today? I hardly ever get to see your wonderful face anymore..."_

 _No sooner had Alex finished her sentence that Darren's demeanor grew saddened and depressed. He looked around the coffee shop, hoping and praying that someone wasn't listening. Darren then turned his attention to Alex._

 _"Things are... really bad at home right now, Al," Darren began. "Mom... still wants to go through with that marriage to Arthur Palmgate..."_

 _Alex's eyes widened. "You mean your mom actually bagged that creepshow? I knew her taste in men was horrible, but holy shit..."_

 _"I'm afraid it's the other way around, Al. 'Dr. Palmgate', as he prefers to be called, has managed to bag my mother. Ever since the two of them met at that fundraiser in Portland, they've been together non-stop. Out in public, he puts on a sweet, charming image to people... but in private, he's manipulative and cruel..."_

 _"...So he's like Dad..." Alex sighed. "You know what that was like. Always came home drunk... always beat up on Cass... it was a relief when he died in the car crash. I know that's probably cruel of me to say, but..."_

 _"No, Al. I know your dad was scum. I saw how much you put yourself in harm's way to protect your sister. You're very brave, Alex..."_

 _Alex shook her head._

 _"What I had to do wasn't bravey, Darren. It was survival."_

 _She pursed her lips, proud of her statement. Darren sighed._

 _"Al, that's the thing. I... I don't have that strength of character. Palmgate is always yelling at my mother and I, always giving us veiled threats. It's... it's like walking on eggshells. I don't understand my mother at all..."_

 _Darren looked Alex in the eye. He furrowed his brows, upset with his circumstances. For the first time in a long time, Alex sensed how tense and troubled he felt. The tone of his voice wavered. He could hardly contain the anger, resentment, and frustration he felt toward the man._

 _"He's invited us to come live with him in the penthouse he owns in Portland. I know Mom is going to say yes. She's going to drag me over there to live with him. I can't stand it, Al!" He slammed his fist on the table. "Every time I see him, he makes my skin crawl. I literally just want to hide away from him every time he comes to visit us..."_

 _Alex nibbled on her banana bread. She offered him a slice. He held his hand up in polite refusal. Shrugging her shoulders, she went back to eating, listening intently to Darren's every word._

 _"He... he wants me to inherit his company. He wants me to take over Palmaris Medical Research when he retires..."_

"Is that what you want to do, Darren?"

 _Darren shook his head._

 _"No! I'd rather burn that company to the ground, Al. You have no idea about the things he really does, Al. It's... barbaric."_

 _The two of them locked eyes. Her green eyes glimmered brilliantly in the cold winter sun. She looked him straight in the eye, her expression resolute._

 _She recalled the first time she met Palmgate, and how cold, distant, and domineering he was at Darren's birthday party. He always scowled at her—likely from how rambunctious and loud she often got. On many occasions, she resorted to catty and trollish remarks in meetings with him. Everything had to be his way, or there would be hell to pay. Given her own aggressive nature, and her upbringing, she often ran into conflict with him._

 _"Well, you know, Darren, I could just troll your stepdad-to-be some more. It'd serve him right for being such an asshole to you and your mom."_

Darren's eyes widened. He could not believe the words that just came out of Alex's mouth. As amusing as he found many of her antics, he did not want to face the consequences ofcrossing Palmgate any further.

 _"Oh God no, Al. You'll just make the situation worse if you do that."_

 _Alex shrugged. "Hey, at least we'd all have a laugh for a little while."_

 _Darren placed a hand on Alex's shoulder. "You don't understand him, Al. He doesn't like being the butt of anyone's jokes."_

 _"Such is the nature of a bully like him, Darren. Bullies can't stand being called out and humiliated. It's why he and Susie hate my guts so much: I'm more than willing to stand up to them and call them out on their bullshit." Alex took another bite of her food before continuing."That's what you have to do, Darren. Stand up for yourself. Let him know that you're not somebody he can push you don't, he's just going to keep on bullying you and Darcy until you get sick of it."_

 _Darren lowered his hand. He knew, deep inside his heart, that his best friend was right. Like many things in his and Alex's lives, standing up against his stepfather's abuse was easier said than done. Sensing his distress at the troubles going on in his life, Alex stood up and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder._

 _"...Have you talked to Darcy about what's been going on, and how you feel about this?"_

 _Darren nodded his head._

 _"I've talked to Mom so many times about him... she's too in-love with him to see him for what he truly is, Al. I'm scared he's going to do something to her—to us as a family. Everyone who's ever even looked at Palmgate the wrong way has vanished in some fashion. I don't know what to do, or where to go..."_

 _Alex held her chin in thought. An idea formed in her mind._

 _"You know... you and I could find a place of our own. Somewhere that creep won't find us."_

 _Darren blinked, his voice full of concern. "What about Cass? What about your grandpa?"_

 _Alex sighed. "Cass already has a boyfriend of her own. She's been talking about moving out and going off to live with him. As for me... well, Grandpa's not getting any younger, and we all have to leave the nest at some point, I suppose."_

 _For the first time since the conversation began, Alex frowned. Darren cocked his head at her, dismayed by the change in attitude._

 _"I can't believe I'm hearing this. You... you actually want to give this 'adulting' thing a try?"_

A smile formed on Alex's face. She playfully nudged him with her arm.

 _"No, I think I'll just go crawl back under my bridge, and go back to doing what I do best. I found some new Zelda forums to skulk about on, by the way. I'm going to love poking the timeline theorists..."_

 _Darren let out a laugh, and just like that, he felt some of his tension subside. She always had that way of making him forget about his problems. He appreciated her wild, fun-loving nature, in spite of the troubles that once plagued her life. Alex nudged her body closer to his own, not even caring about anyone else around them._

 _"Darren, no matter what happens, be it your mom's upcoming marriage, or whatever's going on with Palmgate... I just want you to know one thing."_

 _She cupped his face. The two of them gazed into each other's eyes. Alex moved her face closer to his own. Now more than ever, she cared little of who was watching, and who would see them._

 _"I'll always be here if you need me. We've been together through thick and thin, you and I. I know I'm not always the easiest person to get along with. You're one of the few people who's ever bothered to get close to me. You were there for me when my dad got into that car crash while drunk driving. Before I met you, I... I was a bitter, angry shrew of a person. Maybe I still am, I don't know."_

 _Alex looked away and sighed, not sure of how else to express her feelings. She gathered her courage and continued._

 _"But no matter what happens... no matter how badly things are going... I just want you to know that I'm here, Darren. I'll always be here for you. I'll never abandon you, or forget about you. I promise..."_

 _She closed her eyes, and pulled his face closer. The two of them kissed one another. For the longest time, the two held each other, basking in the glow of the sunlight..._

* * *

Alex froze in place, the flood of memories overwhelming. She floated backwards in the water tank, unable to contain the maelstrom of emotions threatening to burst forth. Fighting back the tears behind the nictitating membrane that covered her eyes, Alex sank to the bottom and fell onto her knees. All at once, the memory of that terrible flight played in her mind, the night her life as she knew it came to an end.

 _Darren..._

Now more than ever, her heart ached. She thought of him often, lost and alone in the deep blue sea. The thought of returning home, of seeing her family, of seeing Darren and the people she loved, carried her onward and fueled her determination. For so long, she had wanted to go home.

For the first time since awakening on that deserted cay, she took stock of her Zoran body. Before Sandraedi, she did not care about what he thought of her or of her appearance. The possibility of meeting Darren in her current state filled her with dread and anxiety. She held out her hands in front of her, and gazed at her scaly fingers with sadness.

 _For so long, I've been fighting for my life. All I've wanted was to see you again. I can't bear the thought of you seeing me like this... Would you even recognize me, as I am now?_

Alex curled her arms, legs, and fins toward her torso. She then closed her eyes and buried her face into her arms. As she became lost in her own turmoil, she let out quiet sobs.

 _What am I going to do? Just what the hell am I going to do?_

* * *

 **9:00 AM**

Darren walked into the elevator, his expression morose and bitter. He pushed the buttons on the side panel, and waited to be taken higher into the building. Before the elevator doors could close, a middle-aged woman in a white lab coat pushed the elevator buttons outside. The doors slid back into the wall, and the woman stood beside him.

"Darren Brokovich, I presume?" She asked.

He said nothing to the woman's question. The elevator door's slid closed. With a small hum, the elevator rose higher and higher. Flashes of light abounded all around them through the fiberglass panels.

"I'm Dr. Matriona Phillips," the woman began, "I was brought here from the Mojave Branch to assist in the study and rehabilitation of the Aberrants. Arthur tells me that we are to be working together."

"I see..."

An uncomfortable filled the elevator. Dr. Phillips adjusted her bun, while Darren looked away, not wanting to engage in any further small talk. She could sense Darren's anger roiling beneath the surface. Despite this, she offered him a warm smile and held out her hand.

"Please, be at ease. I am not Arthur." Dr. Phillips lowered her voice. "I know what he's like, Darren. He has threatened me countless times before as well..."

On hearing that, Darren's eyes softened. He finally turned to face her, and accepted her handshake. Dr. Phillips adjusted her glasses. Only one question ran through his mind:

"How can you continue working for that man?" Darren asked, his voice a quiet whisper.

"Before all of this happened, I was a geneticist and parapsychologist. When I wasn't studying the human genome, I was studying psychic and paranormal phenomena. The Aberrants, therefore, are a quandary to me. The Event that created those beings affected them on more than just the physical level, Mr. Brokovich. It altered their psyche, and changed them in ways I have yet to fathom. Yet these alterations came to them with a terrible price. For a time, Palmaris was the means I chose to help these people..."

Darren pursed his lips, pondering the information she presented. "So... do you think there's anything human about them, Doctor?"

Dr. Phillips lowered her glasses. "They still possess their humanity. I've seen it in their eyes. They're afraid of what they've become—moreso than the rest of us. There is a power, a force within them, that they do not understand. For this reason, I choose to study their condition in hopes that someday, an answer might be found..."

As she continued talking, he became more and more disarmed by her compassion and demeanor. Compared to the cold indifference Palmgate often displayed toward him in private, seeing an actual human being who cared felt like a breath of fresh air. He clasped at the locket around his neck, treasuring the precious memory within.

 _Al..._

Turning his attention away from Dr. Phillips for a moment, he opened the locket and gazed at the picture within. Like a moment frozen in time, he stared at the image of himself, smiling happily at a park. In front of him, wrapped around his arms, stood two identical twin sisters, both bearing long, coppery strands of hair. Two pairs of green eyes peered back at him, the pair on the left with reserved seriousness, and the pair on the right with a fiery, mischievous gleam.

"Who are they?" Dr. Phillips asked.

Darren pulled himself away from the memory of the twin sisters, and looked back into Dr. Phillips' warm, brown eyes.

"Oh, that was me, back when I was in high school. I often spent time around the Donovan Sisters. The girl on the left was Cassandra Donovan. She and I... never really talked much, and was always the more shy and timid of the two sisters.

"Alex, on the other hand... she was my best friend. She often got into a lot of trouble, and I'd always have to go rescue her. Sometimes, it was hilarious, and sometimes... not so much. Always would stand up for me and her sister, though, when things would really go south at times, which was a lot growing up..."

Dr. Phillips raised her eyebrow in curiosity. "Do you still see them?"

Darren shook his head, his expression somber. "No. Alex... she died in a plane crash over the Caribbean..."

His voice cracked and wavered. Dr. Phillips placed a comforting hand on Darren's shoulder. At that very moment, he wanted to cry.

"I am sorry for your loss, Mr. Brokovich. It sounds like you and her were quite close."

"Alex was the love of my life... and I was too stupid not to say anything to her. Now, she's gone, Doctor... and I don't know what to do... It's been four months, and I still don't know what to do..."

The elevator came to a stop. Before either of them could continue any further, Dr. Phillips motioned for him to follow her. Despite his emotional outburst on the elevator, she wanted to help him, and understand the grief that underpinned his every thought. Out of sight from any security camera, the two of them made their way into an empty office.

"Are you seeing a grief counselor right now?" She asked.

"I'm on Palmgate's insurance, and he won't allow it."

"I thought as much..." Dr. Phillips held her chin in thought.

"Arthur will grow suspicious if we don't leave soon. I will see what I can arrange for you, Mr. Brokovich."

"Please, call me Darren."

Dr. Phillips hummed. "The grief at losing a loved one is never an easy thing to go through. It is a shame your stepfather fails to understand this. Do keep this conversation between us. I know how Arthur gets when secrets are kept from him..."

Darren said nothing as she continued on.

"We are going to head straight to Enclosure A72, and pretend neither of us ever had this conversation."

"Right."

Dr. Philips walked toward the door.

"We will be performing a physical examination of the Zoran Aberrant held within the enclosure. Arth- _Palmgate_ wants a full analysis of the Aberrant's central nervous system. You will assist me in restraining her if need be. From what I understand, she's highly aggressive, and may need to be put under anesthesia. My hope is that it won't have to come to that..."

The two of them said nothing else as they made their way quickly down the hall. Each of them passed by the other enclosures and examination rooms. Aberrants, both lucid and catatonic, called out to them.

"Let us out of here! You can't do this to us!"

"We're human beings, too!"

"I don't want to spend another second in this fucking zoo!"

"Get this _thing_... out of me..."

Darren did his best to ignore the ravenous outbursts. Following the painted walls, each of them passed by the numbered enclosures, until they reached a looming set of metal doors at the end of the hall, the very enclosure he stood in days ago.

 _I just want to get this over with. This place makes my skin crawl..._

* * *

Steam hissed through the metal doors beyond the water tank. Alex bolted upright, startled by the sound. She twisted her body around, pushing her cranial fin behind her. When the steam subsided, two figures walked into the room. As they came further into view, Alex's heart sank.

A woman in a white labcoat, carrying a manilla folder and a clipboard, stepped into the room. Adjusting a set of glasses, she scribbled notes on a white piece of paper. Gray-streaked brown hair stood out in the light, carefully tied into a bun.

 _No... Oh God no..._ , Alex thought.

When Darren's eyes met her own, she gasped.

"...Darren?"

The moment her voice uttered his name, Darren froze in place. Alex placed her hands on the glass wall of her tank. Her eyes bore into his own, pleading to him, calling out to him.

Darren shook his head, not believing his eyes. The gaze of familiarity the creature before him displayed confused and horrified him. Before, the Aberrant's resemblance to his late friend's favorite character unnerved him. As she stared into his soul, a whirlwind of emotion churned inside him.

 _What is going on? What the hell is going on?!_

Dr. Phillips lifted her head up from her clipboard, and watched the scene unfold before her very eyes.

"Darren... is that you?"

The world spun around Darren in vertigo. Nausea welled inside him, spurred on by the shock and horror he felt toward the creature before him.

"What is this..." Darren uttered, shaking his head in anger and confusion, "What the hell is this?!"

"Do you know this Aberrant, Mr. Brokovich?" Dr. Phillips asked.

Darren turned toward Dr. Phillips, and vehemently shook his head no.

"I've never met this Aberrant in my life."

Behind the wall of glass, Alex's form crumped onto the floor, her expression hurt and wounded. She could not take her eyes off of Darren. She wanted to cry. She wanted to scream, to curse whatever force had twisted her. Like a knife to her, his words hurt her more than anything she had ever known.

Dr. Phillips lifted his glasses, studying Alex's form. Alex looked back at him, crushed by his words. She shook her head in turn, a look of disbelief on her face.

"She is not in an Aberrated state... How... _peculiar_..."

Not wanting any further to do with this turn of events, Darren turned his eyes away from Alex. Taking in a deep breath, Darren pulled out a small walkie talkie.

"We need an Aberrant escort, Enclosure A72, over."

"10-4, sending escort now," a deep male voice called out from the walkie talkie.

Unwilling to stay in the chamber any longer, he stepped out of the room, leaving Dr. Phillips alone with the creature. Even as the guards entered the chamber, he didn't want to spend another second near that Aberrant. He didn't want to believe what had happened.

 _How? How did that Aberrant know my name? Who_ _ **is**_ _she?_


End file.
